Omicron upends return to US schools and workplaces

By JENNIFER PELTZ, GRETCHEN EHLKE and TERRY TANG
Associated Press

Some school systems around the U.S. have extended their holiday break or switched back to online instruction because of the explosion in COVID-19 cases. Others are pressing ahead with in-person classes amid a seemingly growing sense that Americans will have to learn to co-exist with the virus. School districts in cities such as Milwaukee, New York, Detroit and beyond found themselves in a difficult position at the start of the second half of the academic year because of the super-contagious omicron variant. Many parents want their children back in school, while some teachers fear infection.