The Town of Wellesley issued the following update on Saturday night regarding the cleaning of Upham Elementary School and Wellesley Middle School, which closed early on Friday in light of news that a parent of children at those schools tested positive for the new coronavirus (COVID-19):

Wellesley’s Facilities Management Department (FMD) has completed the cleaning and sanitizing of Upham Elementary and Wellesley Middle School.

Both schools were dismissed early on Friday, March 6 as a precautionary measure when a parent of two students received a presumed positive test for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

FMD custodial staff began cleaning and disinfecting both buildings once students and staff had left and completed the work late Saturday afternoon, March 7. Ten custodians worked across both schools, covering more than 270,000 square feet of space.

Cleaning and sanitizing is done using specialized Protexus electrostatic disinfectant dispensers and tablets which are recommended for this type of deep cleaning.

Currently, both schools, along with all other Wellesley Public Schools and Town buildings, are scheduled to be open on Monday, March 9.

While some non-School and non-Town sponsored events planned for this weekend have been cancelled, at this point all school and Town events will continue. We will update the community immediately if this changes.

To address continued community concerns, the Health Department website has detailed Coronavirus Information and resources, along with a list of Community Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) prepared with assistance from Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

Health Department, Town and School officials remain in close communication throughout this weekend with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Another Town of Wellesley update will be posted on Sunday evening, March 8, prior to the start of the work week.

More: Wellesley coronavirus (COVID-19) updates