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Beginning Monday, Riverside County elementary schools will be allowed to apply for a waiver to once again hold in-person classes.

Students and teachers have been kept out of the classroom for several months in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, but the state has instituted thresholds that would allow for Riverside County schools to reopen with a waiver.

Any county requesting a waiver to allow in-person instruction must be below a threshold of 200 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents, according to a Riverside County news release.

Riverside County, which is currently on the state’s watchlist, is reporting 170 cases per 100,000.

“The biggest predictor of school spread is community spread, and although we’re still finding new cases of COVID-19, our case rate has dropped enough where we can consider elementary school waivers,” said Dr. Cameron Kaiser, Riverside County public health officer.

Waivers will only be available for grade levels from transitional kindergarten to sixth grade, according to the news release.

Counties not on the watchlist for 14 consecutive days can reopen schools without a waiver.

Orange County, which was removed from the state’s watchlist on Sunday, has already begun their countdown to reopening schools.

The waiver, which is available to both public and private schools, can be found at RUHS-Public Health.