Douglas County Schools To Return In Person, But With Masks For High-Spread Schools

DOUGLAS COUNTY, GA — As COVID-19 cases rise across metro Atlanta, including in Douglas County, the Douglas County School System will still return for in-person learning Wednesday — but with some extra measures in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, Douglas County has a 14-day case rate of 1,911 cases per 100,000 county residents as of Dec. 31 — more than twice the 14-day case rate on Dec. 24 at 619 cases per 100,000 county residents, recorded just a week earlier.

In response to rising cases in the county, the DCSS Board of Education consulted with Cobb and Douglas Public Health leaders to update its Learning by Design plan and implement a mask policy to start the spring semester.

Face-to-face instruction for all students begins Wednesday, and face coverings will be required for schools with positive COVID-19 cases at a rate of 5 percent or more, which is considered a high spread level, Superintendent Trent North said in a letter to parents Monday.

When a school site reaches high spread, parents will be notified prior to the next school day that face coverings will be required, which will be in place for a minimum of 14 days. If the school's positive case rate doesn't fall below 5 percent, the required face-covering period may be extended.

Schools with positive COVID-19 cases at a rate of 2 to 4.9 percent, or moderate spread, will continue with recommended face coverings, but not required. Masks are still required on all buses per federal regulations.

DCSS reports COVID-19 case information online, and will continue to do so. According to the most recent seven-day case report, which was uploaded prior to the holiday break, no single school recorded higher than 0.6 percent positive cases per school from Dec. 10-16.

The highest number of cases at one single school was six cases that week, and the district reported 26 total COVID-19 cases overall between Dec. 10 and Dec. 16.

"We know that COVID-19 is an ever changing situation, one that we cannot predict," North said in the letter. "Our expectation is that parents and our community are partnering with us to follow the same guidelines when away from schools. Therefore, please encourage your child(ren) to wear their masks properly and follow DCSS guidelines and protocols designed to keep them safe."

With the rising cases, at least two metro Atlanta school districts have opted for virtual learning to start the semester: Fulton County Schools and DeKalb County Schools.

Related:

• Pfizer Boosters For Kids 12-15: What GA Parents Need To Know
• COVID Spike Pushes 2 Metro School Districts To Virtual Learning