Cobb Coronavirus update

Cobb County schools closing Monday ‘until further notice’

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New Brumby Elementary School

The Cobb County School District announced late Thursday that all classes and activities will be cancelled starting on Monday as the second-largest school district in Georgia will be closing due to the Coronavirus outbreak “until further notice.”

The decision was announced at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, not long after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp urged public school districts and the state’s public universities to close for two weeks.

He said at a press conference that it wouldn’t be a mandate.

Marietta City Schools and Atlanta Public Schools announced Thursday that those systems would be closing for two weeks, also starting on Monday.

The Walker School announced earlier Thursday it would be closing, and East Cobb private schools Mt. Bethel Christian Academy and Eastside Christian School also are closing, in accordance with CCSD.

The Georgia General Assembly was also suspending the current legislative session.

Those closures comes on the same day that the state announced the first Georgia Coronavirus-related death, a 67-year-old man at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.

The Cobb schools announcement reads as follows, and this story will be updated:

The school closures include all school building activities, athletics/sports, extracurricular school activities, and trips.   

While our school buildings will be closed, the education process will not stop. All staff will work remotely to best support students, including delivering digital and physical instructional resources to students while they’re at home.  

We know that you may have questions regarding how the school closure will impact you, and we will work to provide you the answers.  

We will continue to keep our community updated on the next steps during the school closure process as we turn to our digital learning resources.   

More information will be communicated on Friday, March 13 to all our families and staff. Please continue to stay updated on www.cobbk12.org/covid/.

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If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.

 

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Cobb Coronavirus update: The Walker School closes, library cancellations, and more

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East Cobb Library, Cobb budget crisis
All programs and events at Cobb library branches are cancelled until the end of March.

A wide variety of cancellations and other measures relating to the Coronavirus response have been announced on Thursday in Cobb County.

The Walker School, a private school on Cobb Parkway and Allgood Road, announced Thursday it would be closing Friday “until further notice.”

A message released by the school said there were no Coronavirus cases there, but said the decision was made “based on our top priority to protect the health and safety of our students, families and employees and by our communal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Friday and Monday are professional development days for faculty and staff at Walker, which has nearly 900 K-12 students.

The Walker message further stressed, in all bold lettering, that “school closures will not be effective unless they are accompanied by social distancing strategies.”

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Georgia’s first death due to Coronavirus was a 67-year-old man who had been treated at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.

State health officials said the man had other medical issues, and people like that, along with the elderly, are high-risk for contracting Coronavirus.

At The Solana East Cobb, a new senior living facility on Johnson Ferry Road, no visitors are permitted until further notice, with only limited exceptions or in the case of an emergency.

Health care providers coming there will be screened before being allowed on the premises, and residents must remain on the grounds except to receive medical care.

United Military Care, a veterans’ assistance organization on Old Canton Road, said Thursday that they aren’t taking walk-in clients for the time being since some of them are older and have “fragile medical conditions.”

A veteran with an emergency can contact the agency at 770-973-0014 and leave a voicemail with a return telephone number. UMC’s e-mail address is info@unitedmilitarycare.org.

“Our Veterans are precious to us; We do not want to facilitate the transmission of any potentially harmful viruses to those with underlying medical conditions or weakened immune systems,” said a UMC message.

“Please listen to medical experts on how to manage this virus and do not fall prey to rumors and unfounded nonsense.”

Faith communities respond

Several places of worship in East Cobb are communicating with their members about precautions they’re taking.

Starting Sunday at the East Cobb Church of Christ, “we will not be passing anything during communion.” Instead, worshippers can pick up a container when they enter that has a wafer and plastic cup of juice. “These will be used during communion until the fear of virus is over.” the church’s message stated. “Members will deposit the used cups in the holders on the back of the pews.”

Collection plates also will not be passed around, but will be available for deposits in the front foyer. The church is also making available sanitized wipes at various entries.

In his press conference Thursday, Gov. Kemp asked that elderly people not attend worship services for the time being.

Library events cancelled

The Cobb County Public Library System announced that starting Friday and continuing through the end of March, all programs and events at its branches will be cancelled.

This weekend’s Cobb Library Foundation book sale at the Cobb Civic Center and Census events at libraries also have been called off. 

School events on hold

Some East Cobb schools have cancelled extracurricular events.

Thursday’s Magnet Accepted Student Showcase at Wheeler High School was cancelled. There are no known Coronavirus cases at Wheeler, but the decision was cautionary. 

So was the cancellation of the March Madness Parents Night Out March 26 at Lassiter High School. The event was for parents to see a showing of the Lassiter Drama Club’s production of “Sweeney Todd,” while students entertained their kids.

A forum for candidates running for Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education is still on, and will take place Sunday afternoon at Pope High School.

For those who can’t go due to self-isolation or other issues, a recording will be available later at this link.

Questions may be submitted as late as 10 p.m. Saturday by e-mailing popehscouncil@gmail.com.

Absentee ballot applications

Cobb Elections is encouraging voters concerned about Coronavirus to apply for an absentee ballot, which will be mailed to your home.

Complete an absentee ballot application at CobbElections.org, print it out and send an attached image of the application and e-mail it to: absentee@cobbcounty.org.

Send us your news!

If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.

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Coronavirus update: First Georgia death was Cobb patient

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Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday afternoon that Georgia’s first Coronavirus death was a man who had been at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

The man, who was 67 years old, tested positive for the virus on March 7, and had underlying medical conditions, according to a statement issued by the governor’s office and the Georgia Department of Health.

“Marty, the girls, and I are praying for the family and loved ones of this individual during this incredibly difficult time,” Kemp said in the statement. “I know the medical professionals on site did everything that they could, and I greatly appreciate their efforts. As our state continues to address this pandemic, I urge Georgians to remain calm and support their neighbors and communities. We are in this fight together.”

Older people and those with medical conditions are considered at high-risk for contracting Coronavirus, which has claimed more than 4,600 lives, around 40 in the United States, and infected more than 125,000 people in nearly 100 countries.

Those in those high-risk groups—including people with heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease—are being asked to prepare to stay at home for an extended time to limit their exposure to the virus.

Georgia DPH is recommending that they have two weeks’ worth of household items, groceries, water and extra supplies of medications.

The agency also urged all Georgians to continue to take preventatiive measures, including regularly washing hands with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick and staying home if sick.

Citizens are also asked to regularly clean and disinfect objects and surface they frequently use.

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On Wednesday the Georgia Department of Health updated its Coronavirus statistics to indicate 31 presumed or confirmed cases of the viral disease in the state.

Of those cases, 12 are confirmed, and 19 are presumed positive.

Cobb County has the most overall cases in Georgia, with a total of nine of the 31. There has been a second confirmed case in the county, while six more are presumed positive.

Presumed positive cases require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

An individual at Kincaid Elementary School has tested positive for Coronavirus, prompting a 14-day shutdown and cleaning of the school, starting today.

UPDATED, 2 P.M.:

WellStar Health System sent out this message:

Out of an abundance of caution for current concerns about COVID-19, Wellstar has assembled a team of infectious disease and infection prevention specialists from across Wellstar Health System who communicate daily to stay up to date on the latest developments and prepare for patient care.

All of our Wellstar’s facilities are open and operating under normal business hours.

Additionally, for the health and safety of our patients/team members, and following CDC guidelines, Wellstar has begun screening visitors at all of our locations for symptoms related to COVID-19, effective immediately.

Visitors should expect to have their temperature taken, have any potential symptoms reviewed, and will be asked about their travel history. Visitors who do not pass the screening will be requested to refrain from visiting patients until they have been self-quarantined for 14 days or all symptoms have been resolved. No visitors will be allowed for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have recently traveled from regions with widespread community spread of the disease. This process is temporary and is designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.

Although there is still a very low risk for people to contract the virus, Wellstar is well-prepared to meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve.

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