5 things to know today about the coronavirus: Back to school problems

The Ohio Department of Health has reported that the state has passed more than 90,000 total reported cases and almost 3,500 total deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic. The department said that 1,533 new cases and 47 deaths were reported in the 24 hours before its report.

Ohio passes 10 p.m. last-call rule for alcohol sales

An emergency rule proposed to move last call for drinks at Ohio’s bars and restaurants has been approved by the Liquor Control Commission in an effort to help prevent the rising spread of the coronavirus. Bar owners criticized the move, saying it would devastate an industry that has already suffered during the pandemic.

OHSAA says fall sports can go on as planned

The Ohio High School Athletic Association confirmed on Friday that it would allow the fall sports season to go on as planned, one day before the official start of fall practices. School vs. school competitions in contact sports are still awaiting approval, but OHSAA said that if they are not given approval by Sept. 4 they would move sports to a condensed schedule going from mid-December to the end of June.

In Montgomery County, public health officials recommended suspending activities, remote learning

On the same day the OHSAA made its announcement, Public Health – Dayton & Montgomery County recommended that all K-12 schools in the county start the school year remotely and discontinue “high-risk extracurricular activities” such as band, choir, theater and contact sports. Officials cited an observed increased spread of the coronavirus, and noted that the county had a higher percent of school-age cases of COVID-19 than the state as a whole as well as the five other largest counties in Ohio.

Many schools push back first day of classes to create training, planning time

When to return to school has become a crucial question as we draw closer to normal back-to-school season. Numerous area schools have already delayed their first day of classes to allow time for staff training, whether that be in how to safely hold in-person classes or how to use online teaching systems. Many schools have landed on Sept. 8, the day after Labor Day, as a good day to start the school year.