In a Thursday press conference, St. Louis County Executive Dr. Sam Page announced that the county health department recommends all schools start the 2020–21 school year in “as virtual of an environment as possible.”
Page said the department's recommendation is based on the region's rising number of COVID-19 cases and "current level of community transmission," adding that local epidemiologists anticipate that the increase "will remain high for several weeks." The county executive also said many local superintendents have asked that the county department make a formal recommendation, which was shared in a letter to them on Thursday.
Although the county is taking measures to minimize COVID-19 transmission, Page said it is unlikely the spread of the virus will be "sufficiently controlled enough for nearly 300,000 students, 25,000 teachers, and thousands of other staff to able to attend school full-time without a significant risk of an outbreak."
Although the recommendation is not mandated, Page said the department of public health may take "further action in the future if school buildings or schools have significant outbreaks." Page said they will provide support to all schools this fall, regardless of if they choose to operate virtually or in-person.
School districts including Kirkwood, Hazelwood, and Maplewood-Richmond Heights already announced they'd start the fall semester entirely online, where other districts previously announced hybrid or in-person classes. Most districts will start class in late August.
You can watch the full press conference below:
