COVID Spike Pushes 2 Metro School Districts To Virtual Learning

ATLANTA, GA — Two metro Atlanta school districts said their students will return from the holidays to virtual learning as COVID-19 cases climb to record numbers.

Georgia set a single-day record for confirmed COVID-19 cases this week, and Gov. Brian Kemp said he will deploy National Guard troops to hospitals and COVID-19 test sites across the state starting Monday.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 17,641 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Friday; up from 13,834 cases on Wednesday. The previous record set in January at 10,165 cases.

Eighteen deaths were reported due to COVID on Friday, while 297 Georgians were hospitalized by the respiratory disease.

Here are the latest return-to-school plans from three metro school districts.

Fulton County Schools

The new year is arriving with COVID-19 continuing to be a challenge in our community. According to the December 30, 2021, Fulton County Board of Health Epidemiology Report, there has been a dramatic increase in positive cases in Fulton County, with some municipalities reaching historic highs. Therefore, in consultation with the FCBOH, Fulton County Schools (FCS) will implement the following changes for the start of second semester.

• The district will begin with remote learning for all students on Tuesday, Jan. 4 through Friday, Jan. 7.
• Face-to-face instruction will return on Monday, Jan. 10, 2022. Using the Closing Matrix, schools with positive COVID-19 cases equal to or greater than 1 percent of the student/staff population will continue with remote learning until the number of cases decrease.
• Masks will be required in all FCS facilities Jan. 10 through Jan. 21.
• Staff will report remotely on Monday and Tuesday, Jan. 3 and 4, and report in-person beginning Wednesday, Jan. 5.

"We implore our community do all they can to be safe," Fulton County school officials said in a statement. "We strongly encourage people to get vaccinated. Please follow public health guidelines and report any positive COVID-19 cases to the Parent or Employee portals."

Atlanta Public Schools

All APS staff will be tested when schools reopen on Monday, Jan. 3. All students will be offered testing next week with parental consent.

Students will report to schools at the normal time on Jan. 4, while all APS staff will be tested on Jan. 3.

All students will be offered testing next week with parental consent.

“The pandemic and this latest surge have put an enormous strain on people and systems,” superintendent Dr. Lisa Herring said, according to WSB. “We must all do our part and do what we can, while also remaining realistic that, unfortunately, the numbers are currently surging and will most likely do so for the near future. This means our decisions must remain fluid so that we may be responsive to incoming, new information and data.”

Review @DrLisaHerring’s memo for more info: https://bit.ly/32FsMjV.

DeKalb County

DeKalb Schools will start the semester in virtual instruction from Jan. 5-7.

COVID-19 testing will be available for employees at the Administrative & Instructional Complex in Stone Mountain on Jan. 3 and 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Students will return to face-to-face instruction on Monday, Jan. 10.

For students who did not bring devices home in advance of winter break, parents and guardians will be permitted to pick up learning devices for students on Monday, Jan. 3, and Tuesday, Jan. 4. Principals will provide the distribution times.

Breakfast and lunch can be picked up curbside Jan. 5-7.