MONUMENT — Monument School District will transition from in-person instruction to distance learning for the week of Jan. 24, Superintendent Laura Thomas announced in a news release on Friday, Jan. 21.

The decision was made in response to “the rising count of positive COVID cases connected to the Monument School District and associated quarantines,” Thomas said in the news release.

“In the coming week, the district will continue to work closely with the Grant County Health Department to determine when it is appropriate to return students to in-person instruction,” she added.

Thomas said the district would keep parents updated through emails, social media and the district’s website.

Late last year, the Oregon Health Authority reported a COVID-19 outbreak associated with Monument School that totaled six cases among students, staff and/or volunteers, but that outbreak was declared resolved early this month.

In the most recent OHA report, issued Thursday, Jan. 20, no active outbreak is listed for Monument School, and there are no positive COVID test results connected with the school under the “recent cases” listing.

However, the Jan. 20 OHA report does include an active outbreak with two cases connected with Prairie City School.

In addition, the report notes there have been a number of COVID-19 cases involving students, staff or volunteers at two other Grant County schools. Within the last 28 days, OHA data show, there have been six cases each at Humbolt Elementary School in Canyon City and Grant Union High School in John Day.

Neither of those case clusters is currently considered an active outbreak, which OHA defines as two or more cases of COVID-19 in students, staff or volunteers that have a shared, defined exposure in a school setting.

Outbreaks are considered resolved when there have been no new cases in at least 28 days.