CARROLL COUNTY, Ga. - Five Carrollton High School football players have been quarantined after testing positive for COVID-19.
Carrollton City Schools reports that the five football players were exposed to the virus during the Georgia High School Association-sanctioned "dead week" that ran from June 28 to July 4.
Officials say that the students began to exhibit symptoms of COVID-19 during their off week and all tested positive. The students have not returned to practice since the symptoms first appeared.
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One student went to the hospital with common symptoms of the virus but was sent home, officials said.
“Although we are adhering to the strict GHSA and Department of Public Health protocols to mitigate transmission among our students, including small group practices and activities to reduce broad exposure, there was always the risk of a student bringing COVID-19 to campus – or any contagious condition for that matter," Carrollton High School Principal David Brooks said in a statement.
In addition, one of the player's younger siblings, who also plays football, has been quarantined and has seen shown symptoms. As a precaution, all students who were in close contact with him are also quarantined.
"We’ve addressed this situation aggressively by prohibiting the exposed students from returning until they are cleared to be virus-free and continue to closely monitor all student activity,” Brooks said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Carroll County has reported 1,145 confirmed cases of the virus and 40 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to the data from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
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