VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — All Virginia Beach City Schools students could be doing all-virtual learning soon due to rising coronavirus metrics in the city and region.
Officials said right now data shows cases are rising, with about 421 per day with a 9.9 percent rate of positive tests on average.
That data puts VBCPS in the yellow/red zones, and they are continuing virtual instruction for all students, with the exception of designated groups of students with disabilities.
Previous coverage: Virginia Beach Schools going back to all virtual learning after uptick in cases in the city
Virginia Beach City Public Schools said they are only .1 percent away from the percent positivity that would put them in red/red.
The school system said to prepare for a return to virtual instruction for all students as well as the closure of the Safe Learning Centers (SLC) and cancellation of athletic conditioning as early as Tuesday.
Parents, students, and staff will be notified as soon as possible if such action is required, VBCPS said.
In addition, as a result of the current trend, VBCPS has decided to reschedule this week’s high school SOL writing test for a later date.
School officials said once the trend for the Eastern Virginia Region trends back to yellow/red, they plan to return designated groups of students with disabilities to class and reopen the SLCs after seven days.
If within those seven days the health metrics trend to a combination of red/red, schools will maintain all virtual instruction and start the seven-day countdown again from whenever those metrics trend back a combination that includes yellow.
VBCPS reminded the public they cannot reopen schools while the health metrics are where they are and where they are trending.
“If those numbers do not change for the better if we do not work together to stem the community spread of COVID-19. We encourage you to use the following guidelines as a part of our efforts to #VBSAFETogether,” Virginia’s largest city public school division concluded.
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