DETROIT (AP) — Michigan’s largest school district will suspend in-person classes next week, joining other districts that have shifted to online-only classes as coronavirus cases rise significantly around the state, officials said Thursday.

Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said he can’t ignore a city infection rate that is climbing after reaching nearly 5% last week.

“The district relied on science and the data to reopen schools for in-person learning this summer and fall and relied on the same (criteria) to decide that it was no longer safe for our students and employees to work in an in-person school environment,” Vitti said.

The suspension will last until Jan. 11 unless numbers improve, he said.

Vitti faced criticism from some teachers and activists for offering a face-to-face option for his roughly 50,000 students, but he said families deserved choices.