Coronavirus: Cherokee County Schools Plan For Potential Outbreak

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — The Cherokee County School District is taking precaution in case of an outbreak of the new coronavirus, the district said on Friday. The new Coronavirus virus, which originated in China is now called COVID-19. It's caused by a member of the Coronavirus that's a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses.

In a statement, the school district said its following guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Dear Parents,

On behalf of the Superintendent, please be advised that we are aware of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidance to schools to prepare contingency plans for the coronavirus-borne disease COVID-19.

Our School District works closely with the Georgia Department of Public Health and local public safety officials whenever there is a public health or safety concern affecting any of our schools.Our custodial provider is equally dedicated to keeping our schools clean and our children safe with numerous industry best practices in place.

What can you do as a parent? You can reinforce with your children the importance of every-day good health habits to avoid illnesses including: frequently washing your hands; using a tissue when you sneeze or cough and then throwing it away; keeping your fingers out of your eyes, nose and mouth; not sharing water bottles or similar containers; and staying home when sick. When children have a fever, they need to stay home from school and be fever free, without the aid of fever-reducing medication, for at least 24 hours before returning to school.

In the event we were to need to close schools, for any reason, our Canvas online learning management system, which our students and teachers have tested for the past year, allows for teaching and learning to continue in these situations. As we have previously announced, we will be using Canvas on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 for a Digital Learning Day; our schools will be closed that day for safety concerns, as many will be used for Presidential Primary election polling sites. Canvas is a type of “teleschool” option that CDC officials suggested school systems have in place as a contingency plan.

For more information, please visit the Georgia Department of Health’s website.

Barbara P. Jacoby
Chief Communications Officer
Cherokee County School District

SEE MORE: An Outbreak Of Coronavirus Misinformation: AP Fact Check

The CDC says the overall risk of coronavirus to the public is low. Still, the best way to prevent infection from this or any other respiratory virus is:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue to cover it, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Learn more about the outbreak on the CDC website.