LORAIN COUNTY, Ohio — Editor's note: The video in the player above is from a previously published, unrelated story.
Lorain City School District on Thursday announced a one-week delay for students returning to school from winter break, returning on January 10, 2022, rather than the originally intended date of January 4.
The decision comes as Ohio continues to report a staggering number of COVID-19 cases each day; on Wednesday, the Ohio Department of Health reported a single-day increase of more than 20,000 new cases.
Lorain City Schools officials said in a release Thursday morning that they "met many times over Winter Break to discuss the appropriate back to school strategy as we learn more about the new COVID variant omicron," and that they consulted with Lorain County Health Commissioner Mark Adams, as well as Dr. Prakash Ganesh from Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine.
At this time, staff will still be required to work beginning on Tuesday, January 4, and will use the time for professional development. Meals for students are being arranged for students for the missed week, and the district will keep families updated as new developments are made. You can check for updates on the school's meal plan HERE.
"Please know that the decision to delay the start of school was made out of extreme caution for the safety of our students, staff, community, and all of our families, friends and neighbors," said Dr. Jeff Graham, superintendent of Lorain County Schools, in a release.
The west-side school district isn't the only one to make adjustments for the return to school plan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Wednesday, Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced that students will start the new semester virtually for at least a week. Other Northeast Ohio schools have re-implemented a mask mandate for students and staff.
You can find a list of updated policies for Northeast Ohio school districts HERE.
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