LIVE UPDATES: Middle Georgia cancellations, school closures due to coronavirus outbreak

EDITOR’S NOTE: For a more recently updated list, click here.

To prevent the spread or limit the impact of COVID-19, several area events, meetings and classes in Macon and the greater Middle Georgia area have been canceled. If your organization has canceled an event and would like it listed here, contact us at breaking@macon.com. The Telegraph has compiled a list of events that have been canceled so far:

Events

• The 2020 Cherry Blossom Festival was canceled Friday. The festival was planned for March 27-April 5.
• Macon-Bibb County canceled trials and jury selection for 30 days.
• The Forsythia Festival, planned for March 14-15, announced Thursday the festival would be suspended until further notice, according to its website.
• The Dublin St. Patrick’s Day Festival suspended events beginning March 15, and the Irish Balloon Fest was suspended a few hours later with the hope to reschedule the event later in the year.
• The Macon City Auditorium also announced that the Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 20th Anniversary Tour has been postponed until further noticed, according to a Facebook post.
• The Macon STEM Festival, scheduled for March 21, has been postponed by Real IMPACT Center to an unspecified Fall date.
• The City of Perry announced a list of events that will be canceled through April which includes Perry International Festival on March 21, Food Truck Friday on April 3, Special Needs Community Egg Hunt on April 4, The Dogwood Derby on April 18 and Yoga in the Park on April 25
• The SAT test scheduled to take place on March 14 at Howard High School in Macon has been canceled. Testers interested in registering for a different test date or requesting a refund should reach out to College Board Customer Service at 1-866-630-9305, according to a press release.

• The Grand Opera House announced it will be canceling public events from March 16-April 3, including “An American in Paris” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.” The Black Jacket Symphony will continue on March 14 as scheduled. Michael W. Smith’s show, which was scheduled to perform April 3, will be postponed, and people should keep their tickets.

Schools

• The Bibb County School District announced March 13 that it would close Wednesday, March 18 through Friday, March 20, with more closures possible.
• Houston County Schools announced they would close March 16 and remain closed indefinitely.

• Mercer announced that it would give students the option of classroom or online instruction from March 23 through April 3

• The Academy for Classical Education (ACE) charter school will close Wednesday, March 18 and reopen on March 30. Students will complete coursework remotely.
• First Presbyterian Day School will suspend on-campus classes between March 16 and March 20. Distance learning will begin March 17.
• Cirrus Academy Charter School will be closed March 16-27 due to the coronavirus. The following week, March 30-April 4, is Spring Break.
• Wesleyan College has extended spring break until at least March 22, and will alert students by March 23 what the school’s plan is for continuing courses.
• University System of Georgia, which includes Macon’s Middle Georgia State University, will suspend classes for two weeks starting March 16.
• Monroe County Schools will institute a home learning program that will count as regular school days from March 16 through March 20. Additional plans will be made after next week.
• Jones County Schools will be closed March 16 through March 20. Jones County Schools will provide meals for students during the closures at Gray Elementary School and Clifton Ridge Middle School from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
• Central Georgia Technical College will be moving almost all instruction to online or a distance education format immediately until March 27, according to a news release. CGTC’s spring break from March 30-April 3 will continue as scheduled.
• All of Georgia Military College’s campuses, including the ones in Warner Robins and Milledgeville, have closed. Online learning will be held March 16-27.

Athletics

• Bibb County athletics has suspended its spring sports according to release from the district.
• Mount de Sales has suspended its spring sports according to its Twitter page.
• The Southern Conference and Mercer University have postponed spring sports through March 30.
• Monroe County has suspended GHSA spring sports through March 27 and all middle school sports.

This story will be constantly updated by Telegraph staff. Check back frequently for updates. To notify the Telegraph of a canceled or postponed, email breaking@macon.com.

This story was originally published March 13, 2020 at 12:04 PM with the headline "LIVE UPDATES: Middle Georgia cancellations, school closures due to coronavirus outbreak."