Howard County schools Superintendent Michael Martirano has canceled all out-of-state field trips and athletic events due to concerns related to coronavirus, the school system announced Tuesday afternoon.
All of Howard’s out-of-state field trips and athletic events, including those in Washington, D.C., are canceled through the end of the school year. All official out-of-state travel for school system employees also is canceled.
Already-approved in-state field trips are being reassessed on a case-by-case basis. Families will be notified of any changes by Thursday. All in-state athletic travel will continue as planned.
“The decision to cancel out-of-state field trips was made out of an abundance of caution to minimize risk to [Howard County Public School System] students, staff and families,” Martirano said in a statement.
“This decision alone cannot completely eliminate the risk of exposure to this virus, so I remind all Howard County citizens to increase personal precautions and practice the healthy habits recommended by the Howard County Health Department.”
The school system arrived at its decision after Gov. Larry Hogan canceled all out-of-state travel for state employees Monday.
Anne Arundel County Public Schools canceled all out-of-sate and international field trips Monday. Baltimore County Public Schools also canceled field trips outside Maryland and Washington, D.C.
Martirano said he is maintaining direct, daily contact with Dr. Maura Rossman, the county’s health officer.
For additional resources and information, families can visit the school system’s coronavirus page on its website.
There are eight confirmed cases of coronavirus in Maryland, state officials confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The cases are in Montgomery, Prince George’s and Harford counties.