Culver City Unified students return to school after COVID-19 surge cancels classes

CULVER CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Students in the Culver City Unified School District returned to the classroom Monday after classes were canceled last week due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

In a message to parents last week, district officials cited the "ongoing rapid spread of the Omicron variant'' in opting to cancel three more days of classes. District classes were previously canceled Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday, and Tuesday was a pre-planned "non-pupil'' day.

Officials said the three canceled days "will be made up at a date to be determined later.''

This comes as the Los Angeles Unified School District made changes to its face mask guidelines. Starting Monday, students will be required to wear "well-fitted, non-cloth masks with a nose wire" at all times, including outdoors.

The district said it will prohibit students from wearing cloth masks as the highly transmissible omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread.

Higher grade masks will be made available to students upon request, the district said.

The shift away from cloth masks was prompted by guidance from Los Angeles County health authorities, said Shannon Haber, a spokeswoman for LAUSD.

City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.