Fulton County Schools Announces COVID-19 Mitigation Matrix

FULTON COUNTY, GA — As Fulton County Schools continues to monitor the spike in COVID-19 cases across the community, the district said it is maintaining its commitment to safety, while providing face-to-face instruction and seeking to provide choices for families.

Since the start of the pandemic, the district said it has focused on developing mitigation strategies to help reduce the spread of the virus in schools. But due to the increased and sustained levels of high community spread across the cities in Fulton County, the district has now created a Mitigation Matrix, which aligns mitigation strategies to the potential of these increased numbers.

In the Mitigation Matrix, as the level of infection in the wider community increases, the intensity of the district’s response increases as well. When the rate of infection declines, the intensity of the mitigation practices will relax.

At its lowest level, the district is currently requiring masks and limiting visitors in all schools. The level of mitigation increases in proportion to the number of cases in the community, with the final level transitioning to remote learning. Progression of cases per 100,000 indicates the restrictions employed at schools within certain municipal boundaries.

The district said it is encouraging staff and parents to continue to employ practices to contain the level of infection in the community, like physical distancing and frequent handwashing, which help keep students and schools safe and focused on learning. They are to report any positive cases through the Fulton Schools employee and parents reporting portals.