Georgia school seen in photo of a crowded hallway will briefly move to online learning after reporting 9 cases of Covid-19

“As a end result of our being knowledgeable of 9 cases of Covid-19 at North Paulding Excessive School following the primary week of in-person instruction, together with the chance that quantity may enhance if there are at the moment pending assessments that show optimistic, we have now consulted with the Division of Public Well being and are quickly switching the educational technique to Digital Learning at NPHS,” the letter from Paulding County Colleges Superintendent Brian Otott stated.

The excessive school will solely provide digital learning Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday night households will learn of whether or not distant instruction will proceed or if college students can return to school, the letter stated.

In the meantime, “the school will be totally cleaned and disinfected,” Otott wrote. The school district will additionally work with the Georgia Division of Public Well being to determine anybody else who had shut contact with the confirmed sufferers and have but to be recognized.

Principal Gabe Carmona wrote in a separate letter Saturday that “six college students and three employees members who have been in school for at the very least a while final week … have since reported to us that they’ve examined optimistic.”

The Paulding case simply the latest instance of college students and lecturers testing positive for Covid-19 after returning to school, highlighting the risks of resuming in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Final week, the excessive school in Dallas, Georgia, — about 40 miles from Atlanta — attracted nationwide consideration thanks to a photo posted on Twitter by sophomore Hannah Watters. The viral picture confirmed Hannah’s classmates in a crowded school hallway with few seen masks. The school district resumed courses August 3.

“I used to be involved for the security of everybody in that constructing and everybody in the county as a result of precautions that the CDC and pointers that the CDC has been telling us for months now, weren’t being adopted,” Hannah advised CNN Thursday.

In his letter Sunday, Otott apologized to households for “any inconvenience this schedule change might trigger, however hopefully all of us can agree that the well being and security of our college students and employees takes priority over another issues presently.”

‘Good and needed bother,’ pupil says

Otott beforehand stated in a letter to the group that the viral photo was taken out of context and that class adjustments in excessive school have been a problem.

“It’s an space we’re persevering with to work on in this new surroundings to discover practicable methods to additional restrict college students from congregating. College students are in this hallway surroundings for simply a transient interval as they move to their subsequent class,” the superintendent wrote.

He added: “There is no such thing as a query that the photo doesn’t look good. … Carrying a masks is a private alternative, and there’s no sensible method to implement a mandate to put on them.”

Otott’s letter additionally stated the district anticipated needing to make “changes.” The district beforehand determined to make Thursday and Friday digital learning days for college students receiving in-person instruction, “so that each one of our colleges can step again and assess how issues are going thus far,” Otott stated.

US tops 5 million Covid-19 cases, with five states making up more than 40% of tallyUS tops 5 million Covid-19 cases, with five states making up more than 40% of tally

Hannah stated she was initially suspended for posting the photo. However on Friday, her mom advised CNN the suspension had been reversed. Lynne Watters spoke with the school’s principal Friday morning, she stated, and was advised her daughter wouldn’t be suspended and a suspension wouldn’t seem on her document. Hannah can return to school on Monday.

Hannah does not remorse sharing the photo, she advised CNN.

“I would like to say that is some good and needed bother,” she stated. “My greatest concern just isn’t solely about me being protected,” she stated. “It is about everybody being protected as a result of behind each trainer, pupil and employees member there’s a household, there are pals, and I’d simply need to preserve everybody protected.”

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