Schools say they where "prepared for positive test results and has planned accordingly". It's all precaution to keep students safe.
It is inevitable with in-person learning, that cases of COVID-19 would pop up in schools as they head back. 900 students and staff have been quarantined in Charokee County after a week back at school. Be careful how you hear headlines through this though, because this doesn't mean that they had positive tests, this just means they are taking action to prevent spread and any minor exposure is considered a quarantine necessity, to keep others safe.
AJC reported that 826 students and 42 staff members where sent home to quarantine after a few positive cases showed up in schools. Any one that was potentially exposed was asked to stay at home and monitor symptoms. They also placed the schools on virtual learning for all students until the end of August.
Etowah High School had 14 positive cases show up so they have also asked many to quarantine and classes will be virtual through August 31st. School officials say the hardest thing to control are the asymptomatic carriers but are taking all the necessary precautions to keep kids safe and following the CDC and Georgia guidelines.
“As made clear in our reopening of school plan, we anticipated positive tests among students and staff could occur, which is why we put a system into place to quickly contact trace, mandate quarantines, notify parents and report cases and quarantines to the entire community,” said Cherokee spokeswoman Barbara Jacoby. “We are not hesitating to quarantine students and staff who have had possible exposure – even if the positive test was prompted by possible exposure rather than symptoms.”
A quarter of the 42,000 students in Cherokee County have already opted for virtual learning for the whole semester.
(Source: Atlanta Journal Constitution)