Grab-And-Go Meals Resume For Pasadena Unified Students After Coronavirus Scare

PASADENA (CBSLA) — Students in Pasadena can again get grab-and-go lunches Tuesday, after the program was suspended due to a possible case of coronavirus in the school district's central kitchen.

Student meal distribution will resume Tuesday at seven of Pasadena Unified School district campuses after offers of help poured in, Superintendent Brian McDonald said in a letter to parents.

"In times of crises such as the one we are living through now, it's clear that heroes don't always wear capes," McDonald said in the letter. "Instead, they use computers and telephones to teach, answer phones and emails to keep our operations functioning, and prepare meals so that our students and their families continue to receive the essential services that they rely on to get through this crisis."

Tuesday's meals will be provided by an outside vendor, with the help of City of Pasadena volunteers, McDonald said. Social distancing and public health guidelines will be observed.

A worker in the district's central kitchen had symptoms of COVID-19, prompting the program's sudden shutdown. The case has not been confirmed, but the district's kitchens and facilities underwent a deep cleaning and sanitization. The district's regular meal service will resume on April 14, McDonald said.