Gov. Ned Lamont hinted Tuesday that Connecticut students could not return to school until the fall in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus.
During an interview on New York radio station WCBS 880, Lamont said that it was a real possibility.
On Monday, he said schools would remain closed until at least April 20, but when asked during the interview if it could be longer, Lamont said it was likely.
“I really think that’s the likelihood,” Lamont said. “You just look at Italy and you look at Wuhan province, you see what the life cycle was there and you worry that if people get back too quickly that there’ll be a second iteration of this virus. So April 20 is the minimum, probably the school year.”
Students have been out of school since the week of March 9. Lamont initially called for schools to remain closed through March 31 and on Tuesday moved that date to April 20 at the earliest.
The state's Commissioner of Education, Miguel Cardona, said while the state is focused on making a decision in time for April 20, educators and parents should prepare for the delay to be longer, including through the end of the school year.
No decision has been made at this time about the school year beyond April 20, Cardona said.
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Connecticut has more than 400 confirmed cases of coronavirus and ten people have died. Both of those numbers are expected to climb significantly in the coming weeks, according to state health officials.
