Next week Carbon County court was scheduled to conduct its January jury trial week of criminal and civil cases with county residents receiving notices late last year to report as prospective jurors.

But all scheduled trials have been continued due to the surge in new COVID-19 related cases across the country and in the county.

Judge Joseph J. Matika said the court decided because of the surge in cases it would not be appropriate to have hundreds of prospective jurors report for duty and sit in courtroom one without the benefit of social distancing.

He said in 2020 the court took steps to adhere to COVID rules including restructuring the main courtroom in Jim Thorpe and setting up a courtroom at the former Jim Thorpe Administration Building along Center Avenue, to satisfy all COVID restrictions. In 2021, he said, when restrictions were eased, the main courtroom was returned to its former condition and there was no need for the school building courtroom.

The next criminal trial term is scheduled to begin on Feb. 7. The court will monitor the situation until then before deciding on that term of trials.

Pennsylvania reported 27,300 new cases Wednesday, bringing the daily average over the last week to 22,000. Carbon County had 60 new cases on Tuesday, with the percent positivity rate at 26.7 as of Monday.