Schools in two states have canceled in-person classes for Monday and Tuesday this week amid an ongoing surge in influenza cases.
Newsweek reached out to Knox County Schools and Lauderdale County Schools via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the flu is on the rise, contributing to widespread illness and even death in more severe cases.
Teachers, students and school staff have been hit particularly hard, forcing schools to temporarily close to isolate cases, curb the spread, maintain staffing levels and deep clean classrooms.
A stock image of an empty school classroom. A stock image of an empty school classroom. tiero/Getty
What To Know
Several schools nationwide canceled classes last week, and some districts continue to do so this week because of reported illnesses. Lauderdale County Schools in Alabama closed Rogers Elementary and High School on Monday and Tuesday because of “widespread illness.”
Several schools across Tennessee also canceled classes on Monday and Tuesday, including Knox County Schools.
The closures come amid updated numbers from the CDC that show the flu continues to hit the U.S. hard. For the week ending on February 1, 48,661 people were admitted to the hospital because of influenza. Two percent of deaths were attributed to flu, and 10 of the influenza-associated deaths reported during that time frame were in children, totaling 57 pediatric deaths so far this season.
Preliminary data from the CDC show that, so far this flu season, there have been at least 24 million flu illnesses in the U.S., resulting in 310,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths.
The CDC urged everyone older than 6 months to get a flu vaccine.
What People Are Saying
Knox County Schools, on Facebook: “We have been closely monitoring the number of student and staff absences, and recent trends in flu cases reported by the Knox County Health Department. Due to the number of absences and flu trends reported this week, Knox County Schools will be closed on Monday, February 10, and Tuesday, February 11, 2025. Central Office will also be closed.”
“This will provide students and staff with time to recover from illnesses and will allow time for buildings to be thoroughly cleaned.”
Lauderdale County Schools, in a statement on its website: “Due to the number of student and employee absences related to sickness, Rogers Elementary and High School will be closed on Monday, February 10, and Tuesday, February 11, 2025.”
The statement added, “District and school administrators have been in contact over the last week to monitor numbers, and feel this decision will allow students and staff to recover. During the time of closure, no students will be allowed on campus. Extra precautions and cleaning procedures will be taken during this time.”
What Happens Next
It remains unclear if other districts may cancel classes later this week. The CDC said that flu season occurs in the fall and winter, with flu activity peaking between December and February.
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