Fairfax County Public Schools stopped in-person instruction for some of its students amid rising numbers of coronavirus cases.
Group 4 students started in-person classes in October, but had to go back to virtual learning on Monday.
The group includes high school students taking classes for career and technical skills and Burke School elementary students.
The school system said administrators made the decision to pause in-person instruction for Group 4 because the district reached seven consecutive days of cases exceeding the threshold.
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The number of cases per 100,000 must be equal to or less than 200, and the positivity rate must remain at, or equal to, 10%. FCPS said when either one of these metrics exceeds the threshold for seven consecutive days, students will temporarily return to all virtual instruction.
As soon as the metrics indicate it is safe to return to in-person instruction, Group 4 students will be phased back into schools, the school system said.
Group 5, which includes Early Head Start, PreK and Kindergarten students, was supposed to return to in-person instruction on Dec. 1, but that was also put on hold.
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"We understand that the pandemic’s disruption to your children’s education, to your jobs and incomes, and to your other caregiving responsibilities has been tremendous," Superintendent Scott Brabrand said in a letter to parents on Tuesday. "We also could not be prouder of how our students and staff have stepped up to learn and teach in new ways and adapted to these challenges."
