After one week without masks, COVID outbreak forces two Mississippi high schools to close, go virtual

Published 10:54 pm Friday, July 30, 2021

A Mississippi school district reported Friday that two of its schools would close to in-person instruction and switch to virtual learning after an outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. The closures came after only one week of school.

The Lamar County School District said high schools in Oak Grove and Purvis would switch to virtual learning for approximately two weeks. The school district had no mask mandate — something state and federal health officials recommend – in place.

All other schools in the district would continue with in-person instruction, the school district said.

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The district has no revised its policy and will require students and staff to wear face masks indoors at all schools starting Monday, the Hattiesburg American reported.

The newspaper reported that Oak Grove High School had 41 students and six staff who tested positive for the virus.