High number of flu cases closes entire Ohio school district

WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, Ohio (AP) - An Ohio school system on Friday canceled all classes because of a high number of flu cases.

Miami Trace Local schools in Fayette County in southwestern Ohio said without specific figures that the number of influenza B cases had risen over the past several days, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

The district said it’s canceling all weekend activities and will reopen Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and is asking for people to stay away from school buildings. Closing Friday will allow facilities and buses to be disinfected.

The Ohio Department of Health reported 672 influenza-associated hospitalizations in the state the week of Jan. 4 to Jan. 11. That’s up from the 365 influenza-associated hospitalizations reported during the same week a year ago.

___

This story has been corrected to show the name of the school district is Miami Trace Local, not Miami Local Trace.