OC schools cleared to reopen starting Tuesday -- but don't expect a mass return to campus

ORANGE, Calif. (KABC) -- Public health officials on Tuesday announced that all schools in Orange County will be allowed to resume in-person instruction starting Sept. 22.

But don't expect a mass return to campus.

According to the Orange County Register, most districts are planning a phased return with a hybrid online and in-person format to allow for physical distancing.

The county Health Care Agency on Tuesday reported 12 new COVID-19-related deaths and 150 new diagnoses, raising the death toll to 1,105 and the total number of cases to 51,124.

Orange County is on the right track. That was the message coming out of Thursday's COVID-19 briefing. For schools, this could mean permission to re-open in-person teaching by Sept. 22.

The 12 new deaths followed two consecutive days in which the agency reported no fatalities.

The county's daily case count per 100,000 people fell from 5.2 last week to 4.7, and the seven-day rate of residents testing positive for the coronavirus dropped from 4.2% last week to 3.9%.

To move up from the red tier to the orange tier in the state's monitoring system, the county must have a daily new case rate per 100,000 of 1 to 3.9 and a positivity rate of 2 to 4.9%.

City News Service contributed to this report.

First schools in OC reopen following county's removal from state's COVID-19 watch list

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