Fulton County Schools to remain closed Wednesday over positive coronavirus test
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - All Fulton County schools will remain closed on Wednesday, March 11, after a teacher tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said. Many parents tell FOX 5 News they are concerned about the coronavirus spreading throughout the district.
"Four out of the six people in my house have underlying medical conditions that compromise their immune systems and make them more vulnerable. My grandmother had a pacemaker put in last year, two of my sons have asthma and my husband has COPD, so I am uncomfortable," mother Ashley Bussell said.
All schools were closed part of the day Monday and all day Tuesday as crews work to clean and disinfect every school and administrative building in Fulton County Schools. District officials said all frequently-touched hard surfaces are being wiped down with a hospital-grade disinfectant that is proven to kill bacteria and viruses. School buses are also being cleaned and disinfected and going forward drivers will use specialized wipes to disinfect seats after completing each morning and afternoon run.
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Fulton County School Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney said the teacher worked at both Bear Creek Middle School and Woodland Middle School.
"I can say with certainty that within this process, this particular employee had a lot of contact with the students that he or she serves and also with additional staff members," Looney said at an earlier press conference.
All Fulton County schools, with the exception of Bear Creek Middle and Woodland Middle Schools, will reopen to all students and staff on Thursday, March 12.
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Bear Creek Middle School will be closed to students and staff until Friday, March 20, with the school reopening on Monday, March 23. Woodland Middle School will be closed to students and staff until Tuesday, March 17, with the school reopening on Wednesday, March 18.
Officials said they would share the specific details with Bear Creek and Woodland middle school families.
"I have diabetes, so we have to be careful. That is why I have asked my husband and sons to spray themselves down with disinfectant when they come in the house," parent Andrea Searcy reported.
"People need to take precautions, so this virus does not spread. I just had the flu last month," Searcy said. She has a ninth-grader at Hapeville Charter School.
"We ask that our staff and families continue to follow the COVID-19 guidelines as shared by GDPH and the CDC including monitoring you and your child’s health for fever and symptoms of respiratory illness including a runny nose, cough and/or shortness of breath. Please call your local health provider for assistance if these symptoms occur," Fulton County Schools stated in a news release.
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All central office employees and school-based employees, with the exception of Bear Creek Middle and Woodland Middle Schools, who work 210 through 235 days will report to their locations as usual on Wednesday, March 11.