LA County Health Director Urges Schools To Remain Closed Through January

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - Citing a continued threat from COVID-19, Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer is calling for schools to close through the end of the month.

Ferrer made the suggestion Thursday during private briefings for district officials and school operators, according to the Los Angeles Times.

While stopping short of issuing a health order to close, Ferrer urged all K-12 campuses to close through January, the Times said.

"I'm strongly recommending that schools not reopen for in-person instruction," Ferrer was quoted by the Times as saying. "I'm recommending this for three weeks until the end of January."

There are currently no schools in the county that have been cleared for reopening to in-person learning following the shutdown in March 2020.

In late December, Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state would encourage schools to resume in-person learning as early as February by offering $2 billion in financial incentives.