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State health leaders present board of education with new COVID-19 guidance

CHARLOTTE — North Carolina set a record Thursday for total positive cases of COVID-19. State health officials announced over 24,000 daily cases with over a positivity rate of more than 30% for the second day in a row.

[ALSO READ: NC sees highest daily total of COVID-19 cases since start of pandemic]

Cases among school-aged children also are on the rise.

Officials at Novant Health said Thursday that nearly all of the children hospitalized with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

Health officials also noted that cases and hospitalizations with children often lag behind adults by a few weeks.

They expect to see an increase of both among children by mid-January.

“There’s nothing we can do, but we just got to stay safe,” said Sharell Watson, whose child attends school in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools district.

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COVID-19 continues to create challenges for schools, so the state board of education is making some changes on guidelines.

In the video at the top of this webpage, reporter Gina Esposito explains those changes, and why it could soon be easier for a student to stay in school after being exposed.

(Watch the video below: Cabarrus County School Board to vote on mask requirement as COVID-19 cases surge)