Cleveland - Some not so good news for those hoping for in-person learning to begin the fall semester in Cuyahoga County.
The Board of Health has recommended that all schools in the County begin the 2020-2021 school year operating remotely due to the elevated health risk posed to students, staff and family members as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to ravage the state.
Several key factors were weighed in the Board's recommendation, including:
- Average number of daily COVID-19 cases - Number has more than tripled between mid-June and mid-July.
- Community capacity to test children - currently limited in the area.
- Hospital activity - continue to experience increasing levels of outpatient visits and hospitalizations, including intensive care admissions.
- Non-congregate settings - high percentage of recent cases have occurred in these settings.
- Number of cases - local activity has been identified as being in the "high incidence" category by CDC.
- Ohio Public Health Advisory System - currently listign county at level 3 or Red.
- Positivity rates shown by testing - climbing over the last month.
- School-related settings - multiple reports of clusters of cases in sports and other "return to play" activities.
The Board of Health also recommending all schools discontinue extracurricular activities such as sports, band, theater, choir and other activities during the remote learning period.
For their part, most school districts in the county have already announced either an online or hybrid learning program to begin the fall semester.
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