BOSTON (AP) — Boston is delaying plans to reopen the city’s schools after the city’s coronavirus positivity rate climbed higher than 4%.
Mayor Marty Walsh made the announcement Wednesday morning.
The citywide positive rate puts us just over the 4% threshold that we established for moving forward with our phased-in, hybrid learning plan for @BostonSchools. So we believe it is prudent at this time to pause the school reopening plan.
— Mayor Marty Walsh (@marty_walsh) October 7, 2020
Remote learning began Sept. 21 and families were allowed to opt in for hybrid learning scheduled to start this month.
Walsh says preschoolers and kindergartners who were scheduled to report to school the week of Oct. 15 will now start Oct. 22.
Grades 4 through 8 are now scheduled to transition to a hybrid model the week of Nov. 5, and grades 9 through 12 the week of Nov. 16.
Massachusetts has been hit hard by the pandemic, with more than 9,300 deaths and 133,000 cases.
