In-person learning can resume Jan. 11

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

Students in Kentucky can return to in-person instruction Jan. 11, even those in counties that are in the red zone, Gov. Andy Beshear said Monday.

That’s good news for schools in Lawrence, Johnson, Floyd and Martin counties, which have been in the red zone — counties with critical COVID-19 incidence rates — for several months.

Beshear said Monday that there would be no change in the way the incidence rate will be calculated for each county, but he said that recommendations and requirements for each color-coded zone have changed in the following ways:

• Adjustments of red/orange county recommendations.

• Schools must provide “a meaningful virtual option that cannot negatively impact virtual students’ GPA, class rank or any other educational opportunity or recognition.”

• Healthy at School guidelines will be mandatory beginning Jan. 4.

• Schools will continue daily COVID-19 reporting.

In schools in red zone counties, all students and staff entering a school facility must follow best health practices for social distancing, mask use, handwashing and sanitation.

School officials must also implement a “more aggressive hybrid model to further reduce volume of students and educators in school facilities.”

In addition, school officials should consider suspending in-person instruction “until a lower level is achieved at a future weekly decision point.”

If classes are suspended, remote learning would be activated and essential student support services — meals, student engagement and special education service — would be continued.

Officials are also encouraged to hold community-wide meetings to “fully engage all leaders and citizens to halt disease spread” and return the community to the orange, yellow or green level at a future weekly checkpoint to maintain in-person learning.

Schools should also consider suspending school-related athletic and extracurricular activities.

All but two Kentucky counties were in the red zone Monday, when local incidence rates were 55 in Lawrence County, 45.7 in Johnson County, 66.2 in Floyd County and 66.4 in Martin County.

Between Dec. 8 and Monday, new COVID-19 case numbers included 55 in Lawrence County, 75 in Johnson County and 163 in Floyd County.

Martin County reported 60 new cases between Dec. 8 and Friday, Dec. 11. The Martin County Health Department experienced technical difficulties Monday and was unable to issue a report, which would have included case numbers from last weekend.

Additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Monday in the Big Sandy region, including two in Lawrence County and one in Johnson County.

Total COVID-19 cases as of Monday were 566 in Lawrence County, with 78 active; 1,118 in Johnson County, with 175 active; and 1,575 in Floyd County, with 190 active.

Martin County had 546 total cases as of Friday, with 64 active.