A Maricopa elementary school will be closed for 16 days, starting Tuesday, after a coronavirus outbreak was reported Monday.

In a message on its homepage, the Maricopa Unified School District announced that six students or staff members at Saddleback Elementary have tested positive for COVID-19. The district also posted the announcement on its Facebook page Monday night.

The district was notified Thursday of one confirmed case and then another on Friday, the district said. Four more cases at Saddleback were reported Monday for a total of six.

Two more positive tests – one at Butterfield Elementary and the other at Maricopa High School – were reported Monday, according to the district.

The district did not immediately respond to an InMaricopa request for more information.

Saddleback, located on Porter Road in the east side of the city, will be closed Tuesday and reopen for in-person learning on Nov. 12. In the meantime, all Saddleback students will be learning online beginning at 8:10 a.m. on Tuesday.

At this time, Saddleback is the only campus moving to distance learning, the district said. The decision to close the school was made in conjunction with the Pinal County Health Department.

An email to the Saddleback community said school meals will be available from 10 a.m. to noon at the school during the closure.

An earlier case at the high school was not mentioned as part of announcement.

“Pursuant to CDC guidelines, staff and administration at the respective schools have contacted the students and/or employees believed to have been in close contact with the affected individuals so that everyone may take appropriate protective measures,” said the district’s announcement. “If you were not directly contacted prior to receiving this notification, then you and/or your student were not part of the defined group with possible exposure.

“All affected areas where the individuals were present have been properly closed off and either have been or will be cleaned and disinfected according to CDC guidelines before they are reopened. Prior to these positive COVID-19 test results, the schools had implemented strict cleaning/disinfecting guidelines in all spaces, which will continue throughout this public health crisis.”

The district referred families to the CDC website at www.cdc.gov for information on COVID-19, including symptoms and treatment.