The Cobb County School District is reporting 61 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 this week, including seven schools in East Cobb that previously had no cases.
According to the district’s weekly update on Friday, confirmed cases among staff and students were reported in 30 schools.
That’s the most in any week since the district began revealing weekly updates in September.
Overall there have been 443 confirmed cases since July 1.
All of the schools reporting cases this week have 10 or fewer cases, as has been the case since the district began breaking down the numbers. Those breakdowns don’t indicate how many students and how many staff members have confirmed cases.
The East Cobb schools reporting cases this week are as follows:
- Bells Ferry ES
- Brumby ES
- East Side ES
- Murdock ES
- Powers Ferry ES
- Shallowford Falls ES
- Tritt ES
- Daniell MS
- East Cobb MS
This is the third time that COVID cases have been reported at Shallowford Falls and the second time for Powers Ferry.
Middle school students returned to in-person classes in Cobb last week, and high school students will be coming back Nov. 5.
The district also said this week there is a confirmed COVID case within the Pope High School football program. The Greyhounds’ varsity games this week and next have been cancelled, all football activities have been suspended and contact-tracing has been taking place.
The rate of reported COVID-19 cases has been edging upward in recent weeks in Georgia, including in Cobb County. At one point the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 population dropped just below 100, which is considered high community spread.
As of Thursday, that two-week figure is 129 cases per 100,000 people. That’s been a key metric used by Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale. He ordered the start of the school year to be all online when that average was in the 300-400 range, then called for a phased reopening when the average dropped between 100-200.
Cobb has had 22,059 cases of COVID-19 since March and 457 deaths.
In explaining its COVID reporting procedures, the Cobb school district said that in accordance with student and health privacy laws, “the Georgia Department of Public Health recommends refraining from publicly publishing numbers of cases or quarantined students or staff that are less than 10 unless the number is 0.”
Cobb and Douglas Public health will “communicate confirmed cases to affected students/staff/ parents,” according to CCSD protocols.
Those guidelines also state that those who test positive “will isolate until 10 consecutive days have passed from their positive COVID-19 test and they are asymptomatic.”
The district details health and safety protocols in this FAQ and encourages parents to follow a daily well-being checklist before sending students to school. More health and safety information can be found here.
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