More than 900 students and staff members have now been told to quarantine after a school district in northern Georgia reopened last week, school officials announced Tuesday. Thousands of positive COVID-19 tests have been confirmed and one high school has been temporarily shut down, Cherintee County District Superintendent Dr. Brian V. Hightower said in a message posted online.
Since last week, there have been 59 positive tests among students and staff in the neighborhood, Hightower said. The peak in infections prompted the district to mandate a two-week career for 925 students and staff members who may have been exposed.
Hightower said the Etowah High School neighborhood will close, with the goal of reopening in-person classes on Aug. 31. That school has already had 14 positive tests and another 15 test results are pending.
“As a result of the confirmed cases, 294 students and staff are under quarantine and, if the pending tests prove positive, that would increase dramatically,” Hightower said.
The district said once a positive case is confirmed, contact tracing is carried out and the parents of students are informed. It also said that quarantined students will take online classes and classrooms will be thoroughly cleaned before reopening.
Cherokee County schools continued to teach individuals on August 3rd. Wearing a face mask is not mandatory for students, but Hightower had encouraged everyone to wear them.
“As we mentioned earlier, social distance is not possible in all situations at our schools – this is why we require our staff to wear masks as face masks if they can not distance themselves, and this is why we supply masks to students and strongly recommend that they wear them, “he said in an announcement Friday. This is a critical part of keeping schools open. “
His message came when a high school in nearby Paulding County heavily checked over viral photos that a packed hall last week when it reopened. North Paulding High School had to close after several students and staff members tested positive for the virus.
De reopening of schools in the US has come up with heated debates. Lawmakers, parents, teachers and students are divided on how to move forward as the coronavirus pandemic continues passage in many communities.
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