The news surrounding Covid-19 just keeps coming. Literally one week after a northern Georgia school district decided to begin classes, more than 800 students and staff have been told to quarantine.
A week ago, the Cherokee County School District, about 44 miles north of Atlanta, told 20 people to quarantine when one 2nd-grader tested positive for the virus after the first day of school.
Nobody was prepared when that number quickly grew. As of Monday night, the district has ordered 826 students to quarantine due to possible exposure. What’s alarming is that Cherokee County schools recommend but don’t require students or staff to wear masks.
Last week, a photo showed some students without masks standing shoulder to shoulder. Which prompted Superintendent Brian V. Hightower to write a letter to parents saying the image failed to show that many students in the district wear face coverings.
“The senior group photos taken outside before school on several of our campuses raised concerns that those students might not be aware of the importance of masks,” Hightower wrote. “Upon investigation, we learned many wear masks routinely, but we must continue to remind all students of the importance of masks when you cannot social distance.”
