As covid surges, D.C.-area schools cancel activities and go virtual again

As coronavirus cases climb across the D.C. region, schools scrambled to adjust Wednesday, with several moving online ahead of the winter break.

The resurgent pandemic is gripping a raft of local institutions: D.C. reported 32 percent more cases than last week, the Kennedy Center canceled two weeks of a touring musical because of cast infections and the Washington Football Team grappled with its own outbreak. And while area schools were laboring to get to their breaks safely by implementing testing and giving extra days off, this week has brought omicron-variant fears and more drastic measures.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prince George’s County in Maryland announced that it was halting in-person instruction at two middle schools and a charter school until at least Jan. 3.

“I am alarmed by the rising numbers across our schools,” the system’s CEO, Monica Goldson, wrote in an email to the community. “A two-day total last week consisted of fewer than 100 cases. This week, we saw a high of 155 cases reported in a single day.”..

...Montgomery County school officials said Tuesday they have tightened protocols for sports teams, as suggested by local health officials, to minimize spread of the virus. Now, if a team has five or more active cases, the team’s activities — including practices and games — will be suspended for 14 days.

Five Montgomery County high schools are currently affected: Paint Branch, Magruder, Poolesville, Sherwood and James Hubert Blake.

The rising caseloads have alarmed parents like Amy Creel, mother of a student at Blake, where she served for six years as a PTSA officer. One of her daughter’s classes had 19 students absent Wednesday morning, Creel said.

“There’s a real sense of fear in the community,” she said. “The kids are just really freaked out, and the parents as well.”

School system officials said Blake had 26 new cases from Dec. 4 to Dec. 12, nearly matching the previous total for the school year, with seven of the cases related to a sports team. Chris Cram, a spokesman for the school system, said that while school officials are aware of the increase, the only change in guidance from local health officials relates to sports teams.

Creel asked that her daughter, who is immunocompromised, be allowed to learn virtually until the holiday break but was turned down. “It feels very out of control,” Creel said...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2021/12/15/dmv-school-omicron-outbreaks/