2nd Fulton Schools Employee Tests Positive For Coronavirus

FULTON COUNTY, GA — Fulton County Schools closed every building Tuesday and Wednesday for deep cleaning after an employee tested positive for coronavirus. While closed, the district confirmed a second employee has tested positive for coronavirus, Fulton Schools said Wednesday in a press release.

The current case at Woodland Middle School does not pose any additional exposure to other locations and staff throughout Fulton County Schools; therefore, all other schools will re-open and continue regular schedules on Thursday, March 12.

Woodland Middle School is currently closed and being cleaned due to potential exposure from a different employee who served both Woodland Middle School and Bear Creek Middle School. Fulton County public health officials notified Fulton County Schools Wednesday that an additional employee at Woodland Middle School in East Point has been confirmed to have coronavirus.

As of Wednesday morning, there are 16 presumed positive cases of the coronavirus, and six confirmed cases of the disease in Georgia, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The confirmed cases are three in Fulton County, one in Floyd County, Polk County and Cobb County. The 16 presumed include three in Fulton County, six in Cobb County, two in DeKalb County and Gwinnett County, and one in Fayette County, Cherokee County and Charlton County.

The overall risk of COVID-19 to the public remains low, although elderly people and individuals with chronic medical conditions may have increased risk, the Georgia Department of Public Health said.

Globally, more than 121,000 people have been infected and more than 4,300 people have died from the new coronavirus, Johns Hopkins reported Wednesday morning. Of that total, more than 80,000 confirmed cases are in China, while the entire United States has 1,050 confirmed cases as of Wednesday morning. There have been 29 deaths in the U.S. have been tied to the virus outbreak.

Related: Interactive Map: Latest US Coronavirus Cases

The first employee, who is being treated at a local hospital, felt sick on Friday, Fulton Superintendent Mike Looney said Monday, and had direct contact with multiple students at the two middle schools: Bear Creek Middle School, Woodland Middle School. Creekside High School was closed due to proximity.

Woodland Middle School was scheduled to re-open on March 17 based on the exposure in the first case; however, the employee was last in school on March 9 and the date to re-open is being moved to Monday, March 23, which is the same as Bear Creek Middle School. In both cases, the closure is to reduce risk of additional exposure during the 14-day waiting period recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

Individual students and employees who are identified as having had direct and prolonged contact with the employee are being contacted by the Fulton County Public Health Department and directed to self-quarantine.

Families that have not been contacted by the county public health department are considered to have low risk of exposure and should self-monitor. If a student or staff member feels ill or is exhibiting any flu-like symptoms, they should contact a medical professional. Fulton County Schools is finalizing a plan on how to provide continued meal service to students at Bear Creek Middle School and Woodland Middle School. Additional information will be provided to those families by the school principals by Friday.

In both cases, the closure is to reduce risk of additional exposure during the 14-day waiting period recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

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Due to the confirmed case of coronavirus and potential risk of others, the district wanted to share its process for cleaning schools and facilities.

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting

Technically, Fulton County Schools is doing more than just cleaning schools. The CDC defines “cleaning” as the removal of germs, dirt and impurities from surfaces. This process does not kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.

“Disinfecting,” however, refers to using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces, thereby lowering the risk of spreading infection. Fulton County Schools is using both strategies of cleaning and disinfecting to prevent, as well as reduce, the spread of illnesses.

What Fulton Schools is doing and when

During the days that Fulton County Schools is closed this week (March 10-11), custodial crews are cleaning and disinfecting every school and administrative building. Hard surfaces that are frequently touched, such as door handles, light switches, tables, chairs, student/teacher desks and countertops, are first sprayed with a hospital-grade disinfectant and then wiped clean. This disinfectant is proven to kill a variety of illness-causing bacteria, viruses, mildew and fungi and is effective against coronavirus, norovirus, canine parvovirus, and blood borne pathogens.

While schools and other buildings already receive daily cleaning and disinfecting, special attention is being given to areas where students or staff commonly gather or touch. This process will be continued to limit the spread of any germ, whether it’s during cold/flu season or a unique situation like the COVID-19 virus. Bear Creek Middle School and Woodland Middle School, where the infected teacher has taught, also are undergoing a specialized cleaning and disinfection effort through a contracted service provider.

School buses are using a sprayer tool, similar to a fogger, that allows the disinfectant to be quickly applied to interior surfaces such as seats, inside paneling and windows. Drivers also will manually disinfect each row and other commonly touched areas after each morning and afternoon run.

At this link you will find photos taken yesterday of cleaning efforts at schools throughout Fulton County. This type of cleaning is happening at every school in the district except Bear Creek and Woodland Middle. The process of cleaning and disinfecting is different at these locations.

What’s next?

Fulton County Schools asks the community to follow the CDC’s guidance on frequently and properly washing hands and staying home if feeling ill or experiencing flu-like symptoms. The district continues to follow these CDC recommendations for the routine cleaning and disinfection of community facilities, such as schools, daycares, and businesses. Families can protect their households using similar CDC recommendations for home environments.

As a reminder, the FCS COVID-19 website provides information and resources, as well as an archive of previous communications and updates. This website also shares the decisions made by the FCS COVID-19 Executive Task Force, which will continue to meet daily until the coronavirus is no longer considered a significant health concern.

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