KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Union County Schools will be closed through Monday due to various illnesses that are spreading. The Rogersville City School system also said Friday they would be closed Monday and Tuesday.
Ronnie Mincey, interim director of schools in Union County, said schools will be closed Thursday, Friday and Monday.
Vickie Knox, the office manager of the Rogersville City School System, said schools would be closed Monday and Tuesday due to illness.
Tuesday, which is Election Day, will also be a teacher in-service day.
Mincey said various illnesses had been spreading and its absentee rate had risen to about 20%.
The CDC's COVID-19 tracker shows new cases of the virus are still low and decreasing across Union County and most of East Tennessee. However, flu activity in Tennessee is currently rising and is considered high in the state.
Doctors are cautioning this flu season is expected to be more severe this year based on what they saw with the Southern Hemisphere's most recent flu season, saying people should consider getting a yearly flu shot.