Fulton Schools Continues Remote Learning After Influx Of Cases

FULTON COUNTY, GA — Fulton County Schools remains committed to offering face-to-face instruction for families who have selected this option. However, due to an influx of cases, the district said it will continue in its current remote learning state through Friday.

Over the winter break, district leadership closely monitored COVID-19 developments and consulted with state and local public health officials. The state is now facing a post-holiday surge of positive cases impacting its ability to sufficiently operate schools; local hospitals report they are near or at capacity, and new information has been shared about vaccination availability to school personnel. These developments have all been part of the decision-making process leading to this delay.

This week, all students and teachers will remain in remote learning with the intent to resume face-to-face instruction on Tuesday, Jan. 19, following the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

During this time, Fulton Schools employees in the Georgia Department of Public Health Vaccine Rollout Plan Phase 1A+ will have the opportunity to receive the coronavirus vaccine voluntarily. This includes all Fulton Schools health service workers, school police officers, and employees over 65 years of age.

The state's vaccine rollout plan presently includes education workers in Phase 1B. Though the timeline is not yet known, the district said it will keep advocating for its employees to have access to the vaccine as soon as possible.

"We recognize that our families have experienced significant changes during this pandemic and are ready for a return to normalcy," the district said in a release. "Fulton County Schools shares this desire and remains committed to providing a safe environment for our students to learn and our teachers and staff to work."

Related:

• Coronavirus Vaccine Locator Now Available For Georgians
• Fulton County Providing Coronavirus Vaccine For Residents