Two hundred sixty students and eight teachers from a suburban school district in Atlanta, Georgia have been put in quarantine after several teachers and students tested positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) during the first week of school.

In a statement posted on its website, the Cherokee County School District said there were at least 11 students and two staff members, who tested positive for COVID-19.

According to CNN, the students and staff, who may possibly be exposed to the positive patients, had been told to quarantine for two weeks. Students now under observation were from the elementary, middle, and highschool of the county. 

(Photo : Elijah Nouvelage)
Students are seen in the Jefferson High School parking lot as school started amid coronavirus disease (COVID-19) jitters in Jefferson Students are seen in the Jefferson High School parking lot as school started amid coronavirus disease (COVID-19) jitters in Jefferson, Georgia, U.S. July 31, 2020.

On Monday, the district returned to an in-person learning system. Dr. Brian Hightower, the district's superintendent, sent a letter to the school community regarding the incident.

"We have staff and students reporting presumptive, pending, and positive COVID-19 tests everyday, and this will continue as we operate schools during a pandemic," Hightower said.

The superintendent noted that they are now working with the Department of Public Health to contact trace, quarantine, and notify the school community. Hightower added that for transparency, the school officials are taking further actions such as posting school notification letters and details about the case weekly. 

"We know we're under a microscope, as national media follows the reopening of schools in the country," Hightower wrote. "But know that our decisions are not based on what people in Kansas or New York think, nor are we concerned about 'optics' or 'image' -- we're focused on doing best for our community," he added.  

Hightower lauded the school community for the support they have to reopen schools simultaneously in person and in a new digital learning program to start the school year on time.

He also reminded students about the importance of wearing masks. He pointed out that although many were already wearing masks routinely, students must always be reminded of the importance of masks, especially when they cannot apply social distancing.

Keeping schools open depends on the entire community, and parents must keep their children home when they are sick.

"We need to social distance whenever we can, and always wear masks when we cannot," Hightower said.

According to the school district, a Cherokee County second grader was probably the first child who tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the first day of school.

The Sixes Elementary School in the Cherokee County School district began in-person classes on Monday. But after a second grader tested positive, a classroom was temporarily closed for deep cleaning, and the teacher and 20 other students had been asked to quarantine for two weeks.

As schools started to reopen for the new academic year, school administrations and parents are making hard decisions to ensure the students' safety against the pandemic, while getting the education they need. Many have responded with completely remote schooling, while others opted to return to classrooms.

According to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, the system in the reopening of schools will stay safe if safety measures are prioritized.

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