New Jersey: Paterson announced Wednesday that all public schools will switch to remote learning after students return from the holiday break as COVID cases continue to surge throughout New Jersey. A handful of other New Jersey schools also announced they are closing temporarily amid the current COVID surge.
Governor Phil Murphy said he’s looking into launching a “test and stay” program in the New Year that would allow unvaccinated students exposed to COVID to remain in the classroom after testing negative.
A whopping 9,711 positive cases reported Wednesday sets a new daily record in New Jersey, and the state has now surpassed 6,000 positive cases for the past seven days.
The positivity rate of 16.82 percent is the highest statewide since last Christmas when it hit 17.09 percent. Hospitalizations stand at 2,100, the highest since last April, but are still about 1,500 fewer than the same time last year.
After two large Paterson high schools — Eastside and John F. Kennedy – closed early Tuesday and switched to remote learning through Thursday, the school district opted to switch all schools to remote instruction. Hackensack Public Schools announced late Wednesday that due to the rising COVID cases, remote learning is the safest option for students and teachers for Thursday.
The district will go fully remote when classes were scheduled to resume on Tuesday, January 4. Classes will then resume in person on Tuesday, January 18.
