Plans to reopen Boston Public Schools were paused on Wednesday after the city’s COVID-19 positive test rate rose by more than 4%, and the district began its first full week of blended learning on Monday for students with special needs, English language learners and the homeless. Another round of students is set to start blended learning next week. “The positive citywide rate puts us just above the 4% threshold we set to move forward with the Boston Public Schools Hybrid Phase Learning Scheme, so we think it is wise at this time to discontinue the school reopening plan.” Preschool and kindergarten children have been assigned to report to the school in the week beginning October 15th, but this will be postponed to October 22nd at the earliest. “We will reassess where we are based on the data that we see every now and then,” Walsh said, “There are many other dates that we will look at to see where our positivity rate is in Boston.” Grades 4-8 are set to transition to hybrid form the week of November 5, and grades 9 through 12 of the week beginning November 16, starting dates will now be set. “The average number of positive tests increased from 65.6 to 73 positive tests per day, and this created a seven-day moving average for a positive test,” said Martinez, President of Health and Human Services in Boston, Marty Martinez: “Last week, he witnessed Hyde Park has significantly increased the rate of positive testing, which is higher than our previous average of seven days that we had. ”The city will continue in-person classrooms for 1,300 high-need students, and Walsh said, returning to class last week,“ This decision is based on directions. Our public health experts are in consultation with state officials in public health and education. This aligns with our decision to prioritize students with the most need in this plan, Walsh said. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 454 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the total statewide number of cases to 133,359. It also confirmed eight new COVID-19-related deaths across Massachusetts, bringing the number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in the state to 9,323, and more than 4.41 million molecular tests for COVID-19 have been performed in the state for more than 2.33 million individuals.
Plans to reopen Boston Public Schools were paused on Wednesday after the city’s rate of positive COVID-19 testing rose by more than 4%.
The district kicked off its first full week of hybrid learning on Monday for students with special needs, English language learners and the homeless. Another round of students is set to start hybrid learning next week.
“The positive citywide rate puts us just above the 4% threshold that we have set up to advance our hybrid education progressive plan for Boston public schools, so we think it is prudent at this time to pause the school reopening plan,” Walsh said.
Preschool and kindergarten children have been assigned to report to the school in the week beginning October 15th, but this will be postponed to October 22nd at the earliest.
“We will reassess where we rely on the data that we see from time to time,” Walsh said. “There are many other dates that we’ll look at to see where our positivity rate is in Boston.”
Grades 4-8 are set to move to hybrid form in the week beginning November 5, and Grades 9 through 12 in the week beginning November 16, however, starting dates are now set.
“The average number of positive tests increased from 65.6 to 73 positive tests per day, and this created a seven-day moving average of a positive test rate of 4.1%. This is higher than the average of the previous seven days we had,” Said Marty Martinez, head of health and human services in Boston.
Last week, Martinez said Hyde Park had seen a significant increase in its positive test rate.
Walsh said the city will continue to study with 1,300 high-need students who returned to class last week.
“This decision is based on the guidance of our public health experts and in consultation with state officials in public health and education. It is consistent with our decision to prioritize students who have the greatest need in this plan,” Walsh said.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported 454 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the statewide total to 133,359.
State health officials have also confirmed eight new deaths linked to COVID-19 across Massachusetts, bringing the number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in the state to 9,323.
More than 4.41 million molecular tests for COVID-19 have been carried out in the state to more than 2.33 million individuals.
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