Public school students will return to in-person instruction as planned Tuesday

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Hawaii’s public school students will return to class Tuesday.

That’s the message from the state Education Department, which said there are no plans to delay the resumption of in-person instruction after the winter break ― despite a surge in new COVID cases.

“We have consistent safety measures in place that have proven effective at mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in our schools,” said interim schools Superintendent Keith Hayashi.

“Core safety protocols such as getting vaccinated and boosted, masking, social distancing and hand-washing have helped keep our positivity rates lower than the broader community.”

Meanwhile, the teachers union is criticizing the Education Department’s plan.

The Hawaii State Teachers Association said the DOE hasn’t taken proactive steps to prevent a big increase in cases when students and teachers return to class.

“The HSTA remains very concerned about the lack of planning and availability of easily available and rapid testing for students, staff, and the larger community,” the union said.

This story will be updated.

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