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LAYTON — Four Davis School District high schools are transitioning to online learning amid a rise in COVID-19 cases, according to school district officials.
Farmington and Viewmont high schools' transitions were announced Thursday by the district, while Layton and Bountiful high schools' transitions were announced on Friday.
The district dashboard reports Farmington High School with 29 positive cases, Viewmont High School with 17 positive cases, Layton High School with 27 positive cases, and Bountiful High School with 16 positive cases.
According to school district officials, all schools will return to in-person instruction on Monday, Jan. 25.
The threshold for Utah schools to move to online learning was revised in December. For schools with 1,500 or more students and staff, an outbreak occurs if 1% of the school population contracts the virus. For schools with less and 1,500 students and staff, 15 or more reported cases is considered an outbreak. The revision states that instead of closing when the threshold is met, schools can implement a "Test to Stay" option or move to remote learning for 10 days following an outbreak.
Officials said the district would typically conduct a "Test to Stay" option to keep its schools open, but due to a planned districtwide closure Monday for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and a district professional development day scheduled on Jan. 19, the district has chosen to enact remote learning.
Meanwhile, K-12 teachers and staff throughout Utah are now able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccine distribution is being coordinated by school districts and local health departments for K-12 teachers and school staff.
Canyons School District began its COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic on Thursday, vaccinating 1,280 Canyons employees with the first of two doses of the Moderna vaccine, according to a news release from the district.
On Friday, Granite School District began vaccinating teachers and staff who were in the highest age bracket. According to the district, administrators "collaborated with other school districts in Salt Lake County for vaccine distribution based on doses allotted by the Salt Lake County Health Department."
Granite School District officials said they will continue to vaccinate employees on an ongoing basis until all Granite employees have had the opportunity to receive both doses.
Jordan School District also vaccinated employees on Friday with 2,080 employees inoculated in the first round of its clinics, a news release from the district says.
