READING, Ohio — Reading Community City Schools will instruct students virtually for the week of Feb. 1 due to an increase in COVID-19 cases among students, Superintendent Jason Enix said in a letter to parents on Sunday.
Enix told parents the outbreak is widespread.
"Student illnesses and severity are on the rise, and quarantines/close contacts account for over 25% of our in-person student population," Enix said.
As of Friday, the district reported 14 confirmed or probable cases of the virus, 177 quarantines and 174 exposures in the student population. Two staff members are said to be probable cases, six others are quarantined and 23 have been exposed, Enix said.
As a result, the district will continue a remote learning model the week of Feb. 1 and all athletics and activities will be canceled until a planned return on Feb. 8.
Enix said many of the quarantines and close contacts were related directly to individual positive or probable cases, but "additional, unique circumstances" required large groups to be quarantined, including:
- A positive case within the boys basketball program required the quarantine of the freshman and JV basketball teams.
- Multiple positive or probable cases within the third grade were reported. During contact tracing, interactions at lunch time and recess were unable to be isolated to certain students and classrooms. Hamilton County Public Health required the entire grade level to be quarantined.
- A probable case in a special needs classroom, where masks are not able to be worn, required all students and staff within that room to quarantine.
The district will be distributing breakfast and lunch packs for families at the high school on Monday at noon. Parents can sign up for meals by filling out a Google Form ahead of pick-up.
