OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A western Nebraska school district has canceled most classes this week after three staff members tested positive for the coronavirus, requiring two dozen school workers to quarantine.
Classes for most grade levels in the Broken Bow School District have been canceled for the week, the Omaha World-Herald reported. Superintendent Darren Tobey said in an online announcement that classes for prekindergarten and grades 6-12 were canceled through Friday. Kindergarten through fifth-grade classes were expected to be held as usual.
The district is now also requiring all students and staff to wear masks through Sept. 7, including at extracurricular activities and on school transportation. The requirement will be revisited before it expires, Tobey said..
The school district covers 426 square miles in Nebraska's Custer County and has an enrollment of more than 800 students.
Other school districts in the state - including those in Omaha - have also seen cases of the virus following attempts to launch in-person classes.
The news of Broken Bow's problems came as the state surpassed 30,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to the state's online virus tracker. As of Monday morning, the state had seen 30,372 confirmed cases since the start of the outbreak and 361 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.
The following letter was sent to students and parents:
