Walsh: Eliot School to close for a week for cleaning after visitor tests positive for coronavirus

BOSTON — The Eliot School in Boston’s North End will close for a week for cleaning after a visitor to the school has tested positive for coronavirus, Mayor Marty Walsh announced Wednesday.

Walsh and the city’s chief of health and human services, and Boston’s schools superintendent jointly discussed the school closure.

“We’re going to take extreme measures to make sure we keep Boston residents healthy and safe,” Walsh said.

Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius said the Eliot School, which has about 730 students, will close from March 12 until March 19.

Last week, a visitor to the lower school -- where children from kindergarten to Grade 1 are taught -- was on the campus. On Wednesday, that person was notified they have the coronavirus.

“We believe the person found out today that they tested positive and then notified the school community," said Marty Martinez, chief of Boston’s Health and Human Services.

So the entire school is shut down, and a deep cleaning will begin.

Walsh stressed that at this point, this is the first and only school impacted.

“But we are putting plans in place. In the event we have to cancel school, we will have all the proper procedures in place,” the mayor said.

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