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Other local school districts keeping an eye on COVID-19

Community, News March 11, 2020 , by

Other local school districts, Gordon County, Calhoun, Whitfield County and Dalton, are keeping an eye on COVID-19. Other local school districts like Murray County and Murray counties are also preparing for the worse, but hoping for the best.

“To our knowledge, we don’t have any confirmed cases, or anyone in contact with confirmed cases,” said Amy Parker, Director of Communication and Community Relations.

Dr. Michelle Taylor, superintendent of Calhoun City Schools, said her district also had not known connections to COVID-19, but were following the department of public health.

“We’re encouraging students and staff to stay at home if they are sick and making sure our schools are safe and clean,” Taylor said.

Murray County Schools have two quarantined after contact with infected persons. For details, read our story here.

Most local schools have a contingency plan, but one district, Dalton Public Schools, is already developing online curriculum should the schools decide to close.

Pat Holloway, Chief of Staff for Dalton Public Schools, said there are no cases or quarantines involving staff or students in their district, but they are developing curriculumn for students to access via their devices if needed. The system has about 7,800 students with third grade through 12th grade each having their own devices, either laptops or I-pads. For more information, click here.

Other area schools, including DPS, are following guidelines set forth by the Center for Disease Control to reduce the chance of the virus coming into their schools. The Georgia Department of Health has resources available, including guidelines on how to disinfect surfaces.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the Center for Disease Control reported there were 23 confirmed cases in Georgia.For a complete listing by state, click here.

The see how Pickens County Schools are responding, see our story here.

The virus spread from the Wuhan in China and has 938 confirmed cases in the United States and 29 deaths. A confirmed case in Fulton County schools led to the closure, according to the Georgia Department of Education, but they are not recommending closures for other schools. To read the GADOE statement, click here.

COVID-19 virus is spread person-to-person and symptoms are flu-like or the common cold.

The CDC recommends:

COVID-19 virus

Handwashing poster from the Georgia Department of Health.

Stop handshaking – use other non-contact methods of greeting.

Clean hands at the door and schedule regular hand washing reminders by email.

Create habits and reminders to avoid touching their faces and cover coughs and sneezes.

Disinfect surfaces like doorknobs, tables, desks, and handrails regularly  Increase ventilation by opening windows or adjusting air conditioning.

For other tips, visit here.

The Georgia Department of Health recommends:

Washing hands regularly

Get flu shot

Cover coughs and sneezes

Stay home if symptoms appear until they resolve

 

Read our complete coverage on COVID-19.

 

From Gordon County Schools:

  • March 6, 2020

    Dear Parents/Guardians/Staff:

    We understand that there is a great deal of concern about the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and we wanted to take the opportunity to reassure our families that Gordon County Schools is closely monitoring the situation and is in frequent contact with Department of Public Health officials for updates to ensure we have the latest and most accurate information.

    In the latest information received today from DPH, Governor Kemp reiterated that, “To prevent the spread of incomplete or inaccurate information, we encourage Georgians to rely on guidance from the CDC, the DPH, and my office. We will continue to provide regular updates to keep the public informed and ensure the health and safety of families across our state.”  For the complete DPH release, visit our website.

    As a school system, we continue to take precautions in our schools to help keep our children safe.  Our custodial staff is regularly cleaning and disinfecting work and play areas throughout our facilities, following the suggested protocols from the Department of Public Health.  Our transportation department is also cleaning and disinfecting busses.

    Please continue to implement the following measures to help us combat a breakout in our schools:

    • Stay home from work or school and limit contact with others when you are sick.
    • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and properly discard used tissues. If no tissue is available, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
    • Frequently wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
    • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
    • Avoid close contact with those who are ill.

    Up-to-date health information can be obtained at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

    For more information on Gordon County Schools and COVID-19, visit here.

From Whitfield County Schools:

With the increasing concern of the Coronavirus (a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person) around the globe, Whitfield County Schools would like to remind students, parents, faculty and staff of simple, everyday actions that can be taken to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. 

1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. *Parents, please do not bring your child(ren) to school if they are sick.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand santitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
4. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

As always, the first priority of Whitfield County Schools is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and their families. Therefore, our school district is closely monitoring the Coronavirus and making the necessary preparations in case the virus becomes more prevalent in our community. In situations like this, we always take our guidance from the medical professionals at our local Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. At this time, they are telling us that we are at low risk for the spread of the virus. As a system, we are being proactive in the prevention of any spread of the virus. We contract with a cleaning company to clean all facilities every day. They are using cleaning solutions designed to kill the Coronavirus.

We are told that the best prevention at school is to wash hands. Our teachers are diligent to give students opportunities to wash their hands frequently. They are supervising younger children to make sure that they are washing hands thoroughly. Symptoms of the Coronavirus are fever, onset of a cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, and the average incubation period is reported to be about 5 days. Eighty percent of patients with confirmed Coronavirus have only mild symptoms. If your children have any of these symptoms, please do not send them to school.

At this time the Georgia Department of Public Health has advised us that students who are not ill can safely attend school. The Georgia Department of Education is in regular contact with the Department of Health, and we receive updates almost daily. If their recommendations change, we will certainly let you know.

Should it become necessary to close a school or schools, our Teaching and Learning staff has a plan for continuing the education of our students. Of course, the plan varies with the grade level. Should we need to close, you will receive more specific information. Additional information on continuation of academics would be placed on our Whitfield County Schools website in the event of closure.

Whitfield County Schools is working closely with state health officials to monitor the evolution of the Coronavirus and its potential impact on our community. For more information regarding the Coronavirus, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Follow Whitfield County Schools here.

From the Georgia Department of Education, click here.

 

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