MOORE HAVEN – Glades County Schools closed Jan. 20 due to an increase in COVID-19 cases, but are on track to reopen Feb. 1 according to Superintendent of Schools Beth Barfield.

“All three schools had no new positive Covid cases or quarantines (students or faculty members),” Barfield posted on the Glades County Schools Facebook page on Jan. 22. “It’s working ... Please continue to adhere to social distancing as well as wash your hands, wear your masks, and let’s get these schools back open on February 1st!”

On Jan. 19, Barfield took to social media to let the community knows the county’s public schools would switch to online learning: “The Glades County School District was notified on Monday morning, Jan. 19, that cases have risen substantially over the past five days causing students and staff members to be sent home as either a positive case or direct contact. As you can imagine, this is something we are taking very seriously and dealing with accordingly. We are asking you to continue to adhere to social distancing and other health precautions. We are working diligently with the Glades County Health Department to ensure quick and efficient notification of all cases.

“Although our desire is to remain in school as normal (traditional) with enhanced safety and cleaning procedures, the numbers don’t support that learning style. However, we must be proactive and be prepared during these ever-changing times to continue educating our students if and when circumstances change, as predicted, throughout the year related to the health and safety of our students and employees,” she stated.