Some Fairfax County students who had returned to school are back to all-virtual learning

Veterinary sciences students at the Edison Academy returned for in-person learning briefly and are now back to all-virtual instruction. [FCPS]

Just four weeks after Group 4 students returned to school for in-person instruction, they went back to all-virtual learning on Nov. 23 because of the rise in COVID-19 cases. 

Fairfax County reported a record-setting 455 new COVID cases on Nov. 23. 

Group 4 includes 2,900 students in the elementary program at Burke School and in specialized high school career prep programs, such as culinary arts, musical theater, fashion design, biotechnology, criminal justice, robotics, and auto technology. 

According to Fairfax County Public Schools, the health metrics have reached a threshold based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that calls for a return to virtual education. 

For in-school instruction for this group, the number of COVID cases per 100,000 population must be equal to or less than 200, and the positivity rate must remain at, or be equal to, 10 percent for seven consecutive days. 

Related story: Increase in COVID cases could delay the return to school, FCPS superintendent says

As of  Nov. 22, the district had reached seven consecutive days of cases exceeding the threshold, and administrators made the decision to pause in-person instruction for Group 4. Those students will return to school when both metrics have been at or below the threshold for seven consecutive days. 

Group 5 had been scheduled to return to school on Nov. 17, but that move has been delayed. Group 5 consists of 6,800 students in kindergarten, preK, Early Head Start, and various categories of special education.