US: Detroit schools go remote amid latest surge

Students in the Detroit school district will resume classes at home with laptops, at least through Jan 14.

The district said Tuesday that online learning is necessary until the city's COVID-19 infection rates decrease.

The holiday break for more than 40,000 students in the Detroit district will end Thursday.

Michigan's case numbers have caused many schools to delay the start of January classes or switch to online learning. About 37% of eligible Detroit residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, far below the statewide figure.

Detroit-based Henry Ford Health System is "bracing for one of the bleakest months" of the pandemic, said Dr Dennis Cunningham, director of infection control, citing the likely spread of COVID-19 during holiday gatherings.

Michigan reported an average of 12,200 new daily cases from last Thursday through Monday.

"This pandemic is not slowing down and we are still surging," Cunningham told reporters Tuesday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)