Detroit
to keep
students
home as
virus
cases
surge in
state
apnews.com
DETROIT
-
Michigan’s
largest
school
district
will
suspend
in-person
classes
next
week,
joining
other
districts
that
have
shifted
to
online-only
classes
as
coronavirus
cases
rise
significantly
around
the
state,
officials
said
Thursday.
Detroit
Superintendent
Nikolai
Vitti
said he
can’t
ignore a
city
infection
rate
that is
climbing
after
reaching
nearly
5% last
week.
“The
district
relied
on
science
and the
data to
reopen
schools
for
in-person
learning
this
summer
and fall
and
relied
on the
same
(criteria)
to
decide
that it
was no
longer
safe for
our
students
and
employees
to work
in an
in-person
school
environment,”
Vitti
said.
The
suspension
will
last
until
Jan. 11
unless
numbers
improve,
he said.
Vitti
faced
criticism
from
some
teachers
and
activists
for
offering
a
face-to-face
option
for his
roughly
50,000
students,
but he
said
families
deserved
choices.
Meanwhile,
Michigan’s
major
hospitals
planned
to speak
publicly
about
the
impact
of
rising
coronavirus
cases.
Gov.
Gretchen
Whitmer
planned
a
separate
afternoon
event.
The
state
reported
6,008
new
infections
Wednesday
and 42
additional
deaths.
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