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City Schools of Decatur has reported five COVID cases since schools reopened

COVID-19 Decatur Trending

City Schools of Decatur has reported five COVID cases since schools reopened

Talley Street Upper Elementary. Photo by Dean Hesse
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Decatur, GA — City Schools of Decatur has reported at least five positive COVID-19 cases in schools since the district reopened for in-person learning on Jan. 19.

Students in Kindergarten through fifth grade, as well as pre-k students, were allowed back into the classroom on Jan. 19, though students could remain virtual.

Three out of the five cases were reported at Talley Street elementary, including one reported today, Jan. 27. The school has closed until Feb. 1 for cleaning. CSD records show about 60 people have been quarantined due to cases at Talley Street.

According to an email that went out to parents from Principal Billy Heaton,”This third case has a possible connection to the positive case from the school Pod on Tuesday, January 19th. In order for the school to conduct an investigation of this possible connection and to do a deep, thorough cleaning of the entire school, Talley Street will transition to virtual learning for all students tomorrow and Friday. The school will reopen on Monday, February 1st. Teachers are sending home with the students today any materials that will be needed for Thursday and Friday’s virtual learning.”

Here’s a summary of all five cases reported by the school district since Jan. 19.

– On January 27, an employee at Talley was identified as a confirmed positive COVID-19 case. The isolation period for this individual runs from January 25 through February 3. No additional quarantine periods were required with this case.

– On January 25, an employee at Talley was identified as a confirmed positive COVID-19 case. The isolation period for this individual runs from January 25 through February 3. Quarantine periods for 14 other individuals identified as close contacts run from January 27 through February 5.

– On January 25, an employee at Renfroe was identified as a confirmed positive COVID-19 case. The isolation period for this individual runs from January 19 through January 28. Quarantine periods for six other individuals identified as close contacts run from January 22 through January 31.

– On January 22, a student at Talley was identified as a confirmed positive COVID-19 case. The isolation period for this individual runs from January 20 through January 29. Quarantine periods for 43 other individuals identified as close contacts run from January 20 through January 29.

– On January 20, an employee at ECLC was identified as a confirmed positive COVID-19 case. The isolation period for this individual runs from January 16 through January 25. Quarantine periods for two other individuals identified as close contacts run from January 15 through January 29, but vary by individual due to differing dates of interaction.

The school district has publicly reported its COVID-19 cases since October. To see the school district’s reporting dashboard, click here. While students haven’t been in the building before Jan. 19, students have participated in extracurricular activity and certain employees have been in the buildings.

Here’s the full email Heaton sent to parents regarding the latest outbreak:

Dear Parents/Guardians,

With the health and well-being of our students and staff at the forefront of our decisions, I am writing to inform you that another individual in our school community has a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19. Those who have been identified as a “close contact” have received a personal notification with further instructions from the school. This third case has a possible connection to the positive case from the school Pod on Tuesday, January 19th. In order for the school to conduct an investigation of this possible connection and to do a deep, thorough cleaning of the entire school, Talley Street will transition to virtual learning for all students tomorrow and Friday. The school will reopen on Monday, February 1st. Teachers are sending home with the students today any materials that will be needed for Thursday and Friday’s virtual learning.

Parents should continue to monitor their students each day for symptoms of COVID-19 which could include fever, loss of taste or smell, headache, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, sore throat, fatigue, congestion or runny nose, body aches and/or nausea. If your child develops COVID-19 symptoms, please contact your child’s healthcare provider as soon as possible. Please contact the school if your child tests positive for COVID-19.

Thank you for your support of Talley Street’s students and staff. Please contact us at 470-283-7340 or email me at [email protected].

Sincerely,

Billy Heaton

Principal

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