Coronavirus Latest: Allegany County Schools Returns To 100% Virtual Learning This Week Due To Virus Spike

ALLEGANY COUNTY, MD. (WJZ) -- All students at Allegany County Public Schools will return to 100% virtual learning for the week of November 9.

The school system said with shortage of staff and the rising COVID-19 metrics in the county they have to return all students to a 100% virtual model.

This also comes as four more people have tested positive for COVID-19 within an Allegany County Public School.

ACPS has also had 101 staff members who couldn't report to work due to a COVID-19 related issue during the week of November 7. That number went up to 110 as of Saturday.

Those include staff members who tested positive for COVID-19 and people who are quarantined due close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. Many of them are quarantining for a period of 14 days.

All school buildings will be closed to students and the public. The school system will make a decision on Thursday, November 12 on whether or not they can resume in-person on Monday, November 16.

The school system said parents were notified through the ACPS Blackboard notification system if there was a positive case in their child's school building.  Although there is no evidence of in-school transmission of the virus at this time, ACPS and the ACHD said they are closely monitoring this situation.

ACPS is also cancelling all in-person extra-curricular activities and athletics events and practices.

For the latest information on coronavirus go to the Maryland Health Department's website or call 211. You can find all of WJZ's coverage on coronavirus in Maryland here.