Austin Public Health issues orders for schools

On Tuesday, Austin Public Health ordered all Austin-Travis County schools to delay reopening in response to the accelerating rate of Covid-19 cases. The city distilled the orders, which went into effect Tuesday:

• School systems shall not re-open schools for on-campus, face-to-face instruction until after September 7, 2020;
• Virtual instruction shall be permitted as per a school system’s own plan;
• Extracurricular sports and activities shall not take place until school systems re-open for on-campus instruction;
• At least two weeks prior to re-opening for on-campus instruction and on-campus activities, the school or district shall develop a plan to be submitted to the Austin/Travis County Health Authority for re-opening on-campus activities and instruction and make the plan available for parents and general public.

Austin ISD announced Tuesday that they would “suspend in-person education and deliver virtual instruction for the first three weeks of the 2020–21 school year,” which begins Aug. 18.