The school system in Frederick County, Maryland, is taking precautions after an increase in local coronavirus cases.
All small-group in person instruction and winter sports practices are suspended for Frederick County Public Schools, according to an announcement by the school system.
Starting on Monday, all instruction will be virtual until further notice.
Teachers can still use the classrooms at schools to teach virtual lessons but teleworking is encouraged.
Students who need the internet to access remote classes will still be allowed in school buildings, according to the school system.
As of Sunday, Frederick County has an 11.2% seven-day positivity rate for the coronavirus. Statewide, the seven-day positivity rate is just over 9%.
For months, a tucked-away, nondescript building on Rocky Springs Road has served as a de facto hub for Frederick Countyâs COVID-19 response.
The Scott Key Center functioned primarily as a career resource center for people with developmental disabilities until June. Thatâs when the Frederick County Health Department moved in and repurposed the space to assist in the battle against the novel coronavirus.
At first, there were rows of floor-to-ceiling shelving that provided air-conditioned storage for personal protective equipment, or PPE.
The PPE was being stored in a non-air conditioned warehouse in the county, and when temperatures neared 100 degrees, âIt was awful,â said Dr. Randall Culpepper, the deputy health officer for Frederick County.
Frederick County Detention Centers Reports No COVID-19 Cases Among Inmates wfmd.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wfmd.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Frederick County Health Department announced Wednesday that a stray cat had tested positive for rabies.
That cat is a gray-and-cream striped tabby with a lazy right eye and is approximately 4 to 5 years old, the health department said.
The positive test was confirmed Dec. 29 by the Maryland Department of Health Rabies Laboratory after the cat was picked up in Adamstown on Parks Mill Road, between Peters Road and Hope Mills Lane.
The health department recommends that anyone who may have had contact with the cat since Dec. 10 consult their doctor and notify the health department s Community Health Services Office at 301-600-3342.
This Christmas, Facebook comment sections replaced passing the peace, offering was collected via QR code and hymns were sung over video, but the reason for the season remains the same.
The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions have led many houses of worship to adapt how they practice religion. Religious facilities are capped at 50 percent capacity in Maryland by the governor and locally by the Frederick County Health Department.
For some churches, Christmas worship was an entirely virtual, though still spiritual, experience.
The Rev. Yolandra Johnson planned to hold a conference call prayer with the Mt. Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church congregation on Christmas day.