In person classes set to resume Monday

Due to a spike in COVID-19 cases, Hot Springs County School District made the decesion to move to online classes only last week.

A letter issued by Dustin Hunt, superintendent, stated, “It is disappointing to be in a digital instruction period this early in the school year, but unfortunately numbers of students and staff infected with COVID 19, or under quarantine orders has reached the threshold of needed separation. During this digital period, there will be no activities including practices taking place.”

In person classes are set to resume Monday, Sept. 13.

In the letter, Hunt also addressed what the schools will be doing in preparation for the return to in person learning.

“Deep cleaning will be done by the custodial and maintenance staff during the digital period. Currently there is no state or county order for masking in place and vaccination is also a personal choice. The District is not inclined to make these decisions for families at this time, but reminds families that masking and vaccination are the recommendations from the Centers for Disease control. Without a state order in place, it is not feasible to ask our students and staff to do something at school that our community as a whole will not do in public.

Masks are an option for all students and staff. While they may prevent the spread, both parties must be wearing them in order to avoid quarantine. Vaccinated individuals do not have to quarantine unless they are showing symptoms. Students and staff that receive a positive COVID test do not have to quarantine for 90 days following the end of symptoms.

Gov. Mark Gordon stressed last Wednesday that he will not be issuing a statewide or K-12 mask mandate like he did last year, even as schools opened and COVID cases surged across Wyoming.