Norwich Free Academy will transition to fully online learning effective immediately as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
The school district said they hope to return to in-person classes this semester. School officials chose Dec. 7 as their potential return date.
School officials said five more people tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. This comes after seven people tested positive for the virus last week.
"I also learned today that an unknown number of Norwich Free Academy students attended a recent off-campus gathering where so far at least one area student has tested positive for COVID-19 and others report as symptomatic," Head of School Dr. Brian Kelly said in a statement.
All extracurricular activities will be put on hold while classes are online.
The town of Norwich remains under Red Alert status and nearby towns are seeing a rise in COVID-19 cases.
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Grab and go meals will continue to be available for students. Meals can be picked up daily between noon and 1 p.m. in the Bradlaw lot, school officials said.
"The safety of our students and staff is the focal point of every decision we make. It is my sincere hope that this decision, combined with enhanced community awareness and a focus on mitigation efforts, will provide our students an opportunity to return to the classroom," Kelly said in a statement.
