click to enlarge PHOTO CREDIT WXXI NEWS Some local schools are easing into in-person learning after a year of remote classes, and while the shift comes with some risks, health officials said simple precautions can help protect students and school staff. The number of COVID-19 cases has been on an upward trend among younger residents in Monroe County for the past few weeks. County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza has attributed that increase to spring break activities, competitive ice hockey — which has since been suspended — and the presence of the U.K. variant, which is more transmissible though not more deadly.