Panther Valley School District will close school buildings for two weeks following the Thanksgiving holiday.

In a letter sent to families Thursday afternoon, Superintendent David McAndrew Jr. said the decision was made to minimize positive cases of COVID-19 in Carbon and Schuylkill counties.

“The objective of this nine school day fully remote learning period after Thanksgiving break is to avoid a surge of community transmission and increase the chances that in-person learning will remain an option,” McAndrew wrote.

Panther Valley is joining Jim Thorpe, Lehighton, and Palmerton, who have all decided to close their school buildings following the Thanksgiving holiday.

Rather than return to school Dec. 1 as scheduled, Panther Valley students will resume instruction online through at least Dec. 14.

However if case numbers continue to rise in the area, schools could remain closed through the Christmas break, McAndrew wrote.

The winter break is scheduled for Dec. 24-Jan.3.

The district is following the recommendation of the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of Education.

The decision to close schools temporarily is aimed at preventing contact between students who may have potentially been exposed over the thanksgiving holiday. The period will ensure that all students are quarantined for 14 days following the Thanksgiving holiday.

“We hope this time period serves as a "contact break" for us to keep everyone safe and possibly turn the tide of cases in our school community,” McAndrew wrote.

The Department of Education currently recommends that Carbon and Schuylkill county schools should be providing full remote learning only, because they meet the Department of Health’s criteria for ‘substantial’ spread of COVID-19.

Carbon County was upgraded from moderate to substantial spread earlier this month. Schuylkill has had substantial spread since mid-October.

On Thursday, the Department of Health reported 30 new cases in Carbon County and 54 in Schuylkill County. The number of new cases statewide was 7,126, the highest single day increase since the pandemic began.