Cobb schools COVID-19 cases

The Cobb County School District on Friday said there are 576 active cases of COVID-19 among staff and students, and that the figure reflects a steep decline since a late August peak.

However, a new outbreak has been reported at another school in East Cobb.

In its weekly case notification report, the district said Friday that there have been 4,978 cases since July 1.

This week, the school with the highest number of active cases is at Dickerson Middle School, which has 38.

It’s the only middle school in double figures in cases this week, and Dickerson has reported 62 of its 75 total cases since July 1 over the last three weeks.

At Addison Elementary School in Northeast Cobb, there are 13 active cases this week, down from 32 a week ago and 11 at Rocky Mount ES, which reported 24 a week ago.

Timber Ridge ES in East Cobb reported 10 cases this week, but there was only one other elementary school in the district in double figures.

For 10 days last month the entire 5th grade at East Side Elementary School went to remote learning due to an outbreak in which there were 46 active cases at one point.

The district released a school-by-school weekly report on Friday showing how those numbers have been falling in most places (you can read through it by clicking here).

The district said case rates have dropped 44 percent since Aug. 27 and are down 90 percent at 103 of the 114 schools.

“For those schools which have not yet seen drops, we expect similar declines as COVID-19 spread also declines in those areas of the Cobb community,” said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale in the release.

Last week he was the only member of the Cobb Board of Health who did not vote for a statement urging universal masking in schools, per the latest CDC guidance.

Instead, Ragsdale abstained, saying the statement was not sent to him before a virtual meeting. He also said the Cobb school district was following all other CDC-recommended protocols.

Cobb has a masks-optional policy and is one of the few school districts in metro Atlanta not to require face coverings.

In Friday’s release, Ragsdale didn’t mention masks, but said the following:

“Our commitment to our staff, students, and parents will continue focusing on data-based approaches, balancing our commitments to continuing to provide Cobb County’s students with an internationally competitive education, ensuring a safe instructional environment for our staff and students, and preserving the overwhelming preference of our community for a choice of in-person learning.”

Related stories

• Cobb 2021 SAT scores: Big jump at Wheeler; Walton tops county
• Cobb school district responds to anti-Semitic incidents
• Anti-Semitic graffiti found in restrooms at Lassiter HS
• Bells Ferry ES student named SagerStrong Hometown Hero
• Cobb school board delays September meetings for Yom Kippur
• Pope HS vandalized with anti-Semitic graffiti
• COVID outbreaks reported at Addison ES, Rocky Mount ES

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

 

As students, parents, teachers and staff in the Cobb County School District prepare for a return to classroom learning starting in October, the district is providing COVID-19 case updates on a weekly basis.

The district reported that as of Friday, a total of 216 people have tested positive for the virus since July 1.

That’s a little more than double since “approximately 100” cases were confirmed in early August, also dating back to July 1.

As was the case last month, the district said it can’t be more specific about that information, including indicating how many staff and students have tested positive, or school locations where people have had cases of the virus confirmed by Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

The district is citing medical privacy laws “based on instruction provided by the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department” for not saying more.

The weekly case figures will be updated every Friday through the end of the school year.

Cobb schools started all-remote on Aug. 17 due to what Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said was guidance from public health officials about “high community spread” of COVID-19.

Some staff and students have been on campuses and at district facilities, including athletes and others picking up textbooks and other class materials.

The district is the second-largest in Georgia with more than 112,000 students, and is Cobb County’s largest employer with more than 13,000 front office staff, principals, teachers, and support workers on the payroll.

Students will be able to return for in-person classes on Oct. 5, starting with K-5 and special education, followed by middle school on Oct. 19 and high school on Nov. 5.

School district staff members are also returning to schools on phased-in basis: elementary, Sept. 21; middle school Oct. 5 and high school Oct. 22.

As of Monday afternoon, there were 18,505 overall COVID-19 cases in Cobb County, the fourth-highest total in the state, with 1,520 coming in the last two weeks.

A total of 2,263 cases have been confirmed between ages 0-20 in Cobb, the fourth-highest of any age group.

But after a summer spike, Cobb’s average cases per 100,000 over the last two weeks has dropped to just under 200. One-hundred cases per 100,000 is considered high community spread, but Ragsdale said he was looking at getting that metric between 100-200 in order to reopen schools.

At one point, that figure was well over 400 cases per 100,000. Cobb has 413 deaths, second only to Fulton County, and 1,670 overall hospitalizations.

After the reopening announcement, the Cobb school district outlined health and safety protocols that include mask requirements for everyone and deep cleaning procedures.

The district said that anyone testing positive for COVID-19 will self-isolate for 10 consecutive days from the date of a positive test and is asymptomatic.

Students and staff also will have to go into quarantine if they have a suspected case and symptoms of the virus or were within close contact with someone who’s positive.

All schools will have designated isolation areas for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms.

Parents are in the process of choosing whether to let their students return to school or to remain all-remote through the end of the fall semester.

That deadline is this Sunday, Sept. 20. Once parents choose an option, they cannot change their minds before the end of the semester. More information can be found by clicking here.

Related Content

• Cobb schools to provide free student meals for weekly pick-up
• East Cobb students named National Merit Scholarship semifinalists
• Cobb schools provides more safety information on classroom return
• Cobb schools classroom return begins Oct. 5; masks required
• Cobb schools create status update for online learning portal
• Cobb school district receives devices for online learning
• Georgia teachers’ head: Back to school not a return to normal

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!