On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear recommended that the start of in person K-12 classes in the state be moved to Sept. 28.

As is the case in most of the nation, Kentucky is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases and the governor made the decision to try to curb the spread of the virus.

This is something that may very well be needed in Ohio as well, where the number of cases is still high.

Here in Lawrence County, we were under a Level Three alert until last week and multiple school districts have seen cases in student athletes.

Even with social distancing, schools will be a congregate setting for students and faculty.

Contrary to misinformation that has been spread, it is entirely possible for children to get the virus. In fact, a report from the American Academy of

Pediatrics found that there has been a 90 percent increase in COVID-19 cases among children over the past four weeks.

Schools are set to resume here at the end of the month and we know that officials and staff are doing all they can to create a safe atmosphere for students and faculty.

But, as that date nears, we hope that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine keeps a vigilant eye on the situation.

Should it not be possible to keep schools safe, we hope there is no hesitancy to delay the start of in-person classes.

While we understand the benefits of in-person learning and the social experience can not be replicated at home, the first priority should be the health and well being of students and faculty.