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Due to a rise in COIVD-19 cases in the county in just a two-week period, the Charlotte County School Board unanimously voted Tuesday, Oct. 13 to delay all students’ return for in-person instruction.

Students are now set to return to school in a hybrid in-person manner on Nov. 2.

Originally, the school board had set Monday, Oct. 19 as the start date for all students.

On Monday, Oct. 5 a selected group of grades returned for in-person instruction because COVID-19 cases had declined.

According to CCPS Superintendent Robbie Mason, the groups of students that returned on Oct. 5 (Pre-k through 2, Grade 6, Grade 9, Students with Disabilities and English Language Learners) will continue to attend as they have been for the past week.

“The groups currently attending are very small and have acclimated to our health mitigation practices; however, after consulting with the health district, it is not recommended that we bring new groups of students back in person until our COVID-19 numbers improve,” Mason said.

From Monday, Oct. 5 to Monday, Oct. 12, The Virginia Department of Health reported a 42-case increase in a one-week period. Before last week the county was only seeing one to two new cases per week.

Piedmont Health District Director, Dr. Robert Nash, said on Wednesday, Oct. 14 that the new cases were linked to an inside four-day church revival event held at Emmanuel Bible Church, located at 401 Southern Drive in Keysville from Sept. 20 through Sept. 23. “I suspect we will see more cases from this,” Nash said. “Not adhering to mitigation measures caused a communitywide outbreak. Strict adherence to these measures will terminate the outbreak. Charlotte County’s current rate of new positive cases is about six to seven new cases per day. With enforced social distancing and social isolation (stay at home recommendations), this outbreak can be over in two to three weeks.”