Boston delays school reopening plan after virus cases surge

BOSTON (AP) — Boston is delaying plans to reopen the city's schools after the city's coronavirus positivity rate climbed higher than 4%, Mayor Marty Walsh announced Wednesday.

Remote learning began on Sept. 21 and families were allowed to opt in for hybrid learning scheduled to start this month.

Now, preschoolers and kindergartners who were scheduled to report to school the week of Oct. 15 instead will start Oct. 22, Walsh said. Grades 4 through 8 are now scheduled to transition to a hybrid model the week of Nov. 5, and grades 9 through 12 the week of Nov. 16, he said.

Massachusetts is among the hardest-hit states, with at least 9,323 COVID-19 deaths and more than 133,300 confirmed cases.