Thursday, officials with the Vicksburg Warren School District announced classes would resume as scheduled Monday. Friday, that changed.

Friday evening, on the heels of the state announcing more confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Mississippi, VWSD officials announced they would keep schools closed Monday and would resume Tuesday. For now.

“The health and safety of our students, staff and community remains a top priority,” the District said in a statement. “The District is in continuous communication with state and local health agencies and is closely monitoring the evolving situation around the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.

“The District will provide updates as soon as they are available on our Facebook page, website and via call-outs.”

Thursday, school officials had said their first decision was based on the best information available from the Mississippi State Department of Health and the State Department of Education.

“We are working with the Department of Education and the Mississippi State Department of Health and they are not recommending school closures at this point,” Vicksburg Warren School District spokesperson Christi Kilroy said Thursday. “We are following the lead and the recommendations of those state agencies.”

Kilroy did say the district would be adhering to the recommendations from state health officials, one of which included eliminating gatherings of 250 people or more, including any assemblies.

“Recommendations from MSDH include staying informed with current, accurate information on msdh.ms.gov; avoid any mass gatherings with 250 or more people, including school assemblies and athletic events; and to share good hygiene practices with students and staff,” the district said in an update placed on its website Thursday afternoon.

Friday morning, crews with ABM, a vendor hired by the District to clean and disinfect all of the district’s buildings, were finishing similar work on each of the buses in the District’s fleet.

The Vicksburg Warren School District has an estimated 1,200 personnel and more than 7,800 students.