FAIRFIELD, Idaho (KLIX) – Students and teachers will get a break at the end of this week in Camas County, but they’re not excited about the reason.

Due to recurring illnesses among teachers and students, Camas County Schools will shut down Thursday and Friday for recovery and disinfectant purposes.

“It’s a preventive approach to give everyone a chance to heal and so we can disinfect the whole place,” said Principal Nathan Whittle. He said the plan is to disinfect the building “from top to bottom.”

A number of the facility’s 16 teachers, as well as some students, have been fighting off recurring illnesses and it’s been tough finding substitute teachers, he said. Disinfecting the building will hopefully minimize the continued spread of the virus.

The school started noticing the impact of this year’s cold and flu season right after Christmas. “It has kept cycling and cycling and cycling,” he said. “It has hit our staff pretty hard.”

Whittle said teachers and staff will be back to class on Monday, Feb. 5.

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