Jim Hogg ISD says no in-school teaching until Oct. 2 amid pandemic

Jim Hogg Independent School District has said they will not resume face-to-face learning for their upcoming semester until October 2.

"As we continue to see an increase in COVID-19 cases here in Jim Hogg County we feel that it is in the best interest of the community that students do not have face-to-face instruction at our public schools," says a press release from Jim Hogg County Judge Juan Guerra.

Jim Hogg is one of the first local districts to make an announcement like this. The reasoning has to do with preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"We have determined that extraordinary emergency measures are necessary to be taken to continue with the mitigation of this public health emergency, in order to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Jim Hogg County, including school-age children, while facilitating a cooperative response amongst the citizens of Jim Hogg County, and re-open businesses and industrial aspects of the county of Jim Hogg as well as our public and private schools in a safe environment," said Guerra.

A press release posted to the county's Facebook page citesTexas Governor Greg Abbott's order issued on June 26.

“On June 26, 2020, Governor Abbott issued an Executive Order GA-28 Relating to the reopening of Texas in response to the COVID-19 disaster, which continues to require every person in Texas to minimize social gatherings and minimized in-person contact, with people who are not in the same household and you live in the home, implement social distancing and to practice good hygiene environmental cleanliness and sanitation, as set forth by the Governor’s Strike Force to Open Texas,” said the post.

Jim Hogg currently has 16 active COVID-19 patients and 16 recovered COVID-19 patients in the county.