Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced that the city’s public schools will close Tuesday, March 17, for over a month in an effort to keep students, their families and staff safe during the coronavirus outbreak.
Officials in Boston will hold hearings next week on the city's response to the deepening coronavirus pandemic.
The Boston City Council is hosting a hearing Monday evening looking at the city's emergency response. It will also host a Tuesday afternoon hearing focused on city infrastructure and facilities, as well as the economic impact of the virus.
Members of the public are encouraged view the meeting via livestream, where the they will also be able to submit questions, according to the council.
The Boston area is the epicenter of the virus in Massachusetts, which has among the highest number of confirmed cases in the country.
Nearly all of the state's more than 100 cases are linked to a biotech meeting at a downtown hotel last month.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
