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Schools across the United States are grappling with the growing number of COVID-19 cases, forcing school districts to rethink their mask-wearing strategies or having to switch to virtual classes.
Some schools in Mississippi, Indiana, and Georgia have already been forced to go virtual.
Some hope to return to face-to-face classes when the numbers of cases decrease.
This week alone, two Atlanta-area elementary schools sent some or all of the students home for virtual classes.
Kemp Elementary School in Clayton County said it will "operate in a virtual learning environment for the remainder of the week" as a precaution.
And fifth graders from East Side Elementary in Cobb County have also been sent home and will not return to face-to-face classes until at least August 23.
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"This morning, based on our district protocols and with guidance from the Health Public Affairs Department in coordination with district leaders, we had to make the difficult decision to move our fifth grade classes to virtual learning due to the pandemic. of ongoing covid-19 and the high number of positive cases, "according to an email from the district sent to parents and obtained by CNN.
Two other Clayton County schools, Pointe South Middle School and North Clayton High School, had already started the year virtually due to various staff members having to self-quarantine.
The Glascock County Consolidated School in Gibson, Georgia, will continue virtually until at least August 20 after rates of covid-19 cases "rose dramatically" in the community, according to an announcement from the school.
The school said it had "high hopes" for a normal year, but within the first week of school, nine students and four staff members tested positive and 99 students and 11 staff members had to be quarantined.
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"This temporary transition to virtual / home learning will allow existing COVID-19 quarantines to expire and will allow time for the spread of COVID-19 to slow down," the announcement read.
"Additionally, this period will provide time to implement improved mitigation measures and reestablish a hybrid instructional model for the remainder of the fall semester."
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In Indiana, Scott County School District 1 told parents Tuesday that "due to the high rate of positive cases and the extremely high rate of students in quarantine," the district would switch to in-person learning on Wednesday, according to the district Facebook page.
The district said it expected to return to face-to-face education on August 23.
Several schools in Lamar County, Mississippi, switched to virtual classes before the county school board voted to switch to a hybrid model to help combat the increase in cases.
Superintendent Steven Hampton proposed the hybrid schedule during a board meeting Monday, saying that while he believes face-to-face learning is better, a hybrid model would help prevent all schools from being virtual.
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"Face-to-face learning is the best way for our children to learn, but I don't feel like it's safe," Hampton said.
The district said a group of students will go to school every Monday and Wednesday and every other Friday.
A second group will go to school every Tuesday and Thursday and rotate on Fridays.
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Oak Grove High School reported some of the highest numbers in Lamar County, with 44 students testing positive during the week of August 2-6.
Mississippi is one of many states that are experiencing an increase in covid-19 rates.
There were no intensive care beds available at top-tier state hospitals on Monday and 200 people were waiting for beds in emergency rooms, according to state health official Thomas Dobbs.
Cases have also increased in schools in the state.
More than 1,300 students, teachers and staff in Mississippi schools have tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the school year, according to the state health department.
More than 4,000 students were quarantined and nearly 800 students tested positive for COVID-19 from Aug.2 to Aug.6, according to the data.
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves has left mask mandates to local jurisdictions.
CNN affiliate WAPT reported that Reeves recently called the change to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) mask wear guide "silly and harmful" in a recent speech, saying that "has nothing to do with rational science."
Some schools in the state require masks and others do not.
But the 80 outbreaks in the state's 342 schools prompted some districts to change policies just as the school year begins.
On Monday, the Rankin County School District reversed its policy of requiring masks.
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"As you know, our hopes were to stay in school while 'we highly recommended the use of masks' and used other prevention strategies. However, the number of positive cases and quarantines of students and employees has become a concern after only two days from the opening of the school, "the district said in a statement posted on its website.
The district says it will reassess the situation on Aug. 25 to see if it can "go back to 'recommending' wearing masks at that time."
"While we know this will not be a popular decision, please understand the difficulty of the situation," the district said.
"We must base this decision on keeping our students and employees safe and keeping schools open."
The Pearl River County School District revised its plans this week to require the wearing of masks in school for students ages 6 and up.
The district will also reevaluate on August 25.
Missouri pediatricians asked state schools to implement the mask mandates this week.
The Missouri team of the American Academy of Pediatrics echoed the recommendations of the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics, saying that it encourages that "anyone older than 2 years, regardless of vaccination status, should wear a mask in indoors, even in the school environment. "
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"It is critical that we continue to put layers of protection on children as the pandemic continues," said Dr. Kristin Sohl, Missouri team president and pediatrician, in a statement.
"Children can, in fact, contract COVID-19; they get sick and more of them are being hospitalized for treatment. Implementing mitigation strategies such as wearing masks, vaccinations, testing and proper cleaning is key to keeping our school communities safe." .
CNN's Maria Cartaya and Shawn Nottingham contributed to this report.
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