More than 250 students and lecturers from one School District in Georgia are now in quarantine, but one week into the new school year. Several teachers and students across the district’s schools tested positive for COVID-19 after lessons were resumed Monday.
Cherokee County School District shares ongoing updates on coronavirus cases in their schools on their website. As of Friday, more than a dozen students and teachers have tested positive, sending hundreds of people home after just five days of school.
Since the beginning of the week, at least 11 students and two staff members across primary, secondary and secondary schools have tested positive for coronavirus. The ages of the students range from first grade to twelfth grade.
After conducting contact follow-up, the district said at least 250 students and staff who have potential exposure to positive cases should quarantine for two weeks. During that time, students will receive instruction online.
Cherokee County schools have resumed personal learning on Monday, August 3rd. In a letter to families on Friday, Superintendent Dr. Brian V. Hightower that the trend of students and staff testing positive every day “will continue as we operate schools during a pandemic.”
“We know we are under a microscope because national media are following the re-emergence of schools across the country,” he wrote. “But know that our decisions are not based on what people in New York or Kansas think, nor are we concerned about ‘optics’ or ‘image’ – we are focused on what works best for our community.”
Hightower said the district is taking additional steps to remain transparent, including updating weekly business totals and sharing as many details about positive cases as possible.
Hightower also stressed the importance of wearing masks, following viral photos of the state showing a group of high school students packing tightly without face mask. North Paulding High School in Dallas, Georgia, lifts the suspension of two students who were punished for posting photos of the full halls of the school.
“As we mentioned earlier, social distance is not said to be possible in all situations at our schools – this is why we require our staff to wear masks or face shields when they cannot distance themselves, and this is why we provide masks to students. and strongly recommend that they wear them, “he said.” This is a critical component to keeping schools open. “
As schools around the country re-start a huge number children have tested positive for the virus – once thought they only affect older populations. Dozens of schools and colleges have reversed their original rescheduling in favor of online-only education in the fall.
Nearly 100,000 children tested positive for virus in the last two weeks of July, a new report of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Of nearly 5 million reported cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., CBS News’ Michael George reports that the group found that there were more than 338,000 children.
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