With COVID-19 cases rising, many parents have been asking about any plans to go back to a virtual schedule. After consulting with the New River Health District, students will return to school on schedule and as planned Tuesday, Jan. 4.
To be clear, it is the goal of Pulaski County Public Schools to keep our students in the classroom with in-person learning. We will continue to monitor the data from our school system and make decisions on a school-by-school basis, as needed.
With that in mind, we are asking that everyone do their part.
First, we all need to ensure we are doing the basics. Wear your mask when indoors or in large groups. Practice social distancing. Wash your hands. If you feel sick or have symptoms, get tested and avoid contact with others until you have the results.
It has been proven that vaccination is the best tool in the COVID fight. If you or your students have not been vaccinated, we ask that you consider doing so.
We know the Omicron variant is now here in the NRV. While that may sound scary, most reports show that it is NOT more severe than earlier variants for children and seems to be milder for most adults as well.
New guidance from the CDC concerning isolation, quarantine times, and “test to stay” protocols is expected to be released soon. Until that time, we want to focus on protecting our students and staff and doing everything possible to ensure we keep our students in the classroom.
For more information on COVID-19, testing and mitigation measures, visit https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/.