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Update: 925 Cherokee County students, staff in quarantine as precaution amid rising COVID cases

At least 19 schools have been impacted since last week.

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — School has been in session for a week in Cherokee County and positive cases continue to force other students to go into quarantine, the district said.

Based on positive test results among staffers, teachers and students, the district conducts contact tracing and determines who must go into quarantine for two weeks. 

As of Tuesday morning, there have been 59 positive COVID-19 tests confirmed among students and staff in the district, which has led them to mandate two-week quarantines for 925 students and staff.   

Late Tuesday afternoon, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower announced Etowah High School would close until Aug. 31 after 14 confirmed cases at the school and tests for another 15 students pending. 

With every case, the district is sending letters home with parents informing them of the positive cases and how many students or faculty must quarantine. They even went as far as creating a status report webpage that is updated every Friday. 

"If a student’s exposure to a student or employee who has tested positive meets the Department of Health’s requirements for mandated precautionary quarantine, parents/guardians will be immediately advised," the district said.

They said that the same notification will be made to employees who meet those requirements.  

Gov. Kemp said Monday that he had been in contact with several local superintendents and said they expected issues and said the week went "real well."

U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said during a stop in Georgia that when you reopen schools, "it's not if you have a positive test, it's when you have a positive test -- and it's how you react and respond to it." 

Below are the cases and quarantines in Cherokee County Schools from their original list though an update increased the number considerably for some schools later in the evening - especially at Etowah High School: 

Avery Elementary School - A 5th and 3rd grade student tested positive - 14 students must quarantine.  

Bascomb Elementary School - After School Program worker has tested positive - 21 first-graders, 10 kindergartners and another ASP worker must quarantine for two weeks.

Boston Elementary School - A 4th grade teacher and kindergarten teacher tested positive - The teachers and 40 students and three additional teachers must quarantine for two weeks.   

Carmel Elementary School - Digital Learning Teacher tested positive - One additional teacher must quarantine for two weeks. 

Cherokee High School - Six students (three 11th graders, a 9th grader and two 12th graders) tested positive - 51 students must quarantine for two weeks.

Creekland Middle School - One 6th grade student tested positive - 20 students must quarantine for two weeks. 

Creekview High School - Five students (three 12th and two 10th grade), three teachers test positive - 155 students, four additional teachers and five other staff members must quarantine for two weeks.

Dean Rusk Middle - One 8th grade student tests positive - 15 students must quarantine for two weeks.

Etowah High School - 14 students (ten 9th graders, three 10th graders and an 11th grader) test positive - 286 students and two teachers must quarantine for two weeks. 

Free Homes Elementary - A first grade student tested positive - 21 students and two teachers must quarantine.  

Freedom Middle School - One 7th grade and one 6th grade student tested positive - 40 students must quarantine for two weeks. 

Hasty ES Fine Arts Academy - First-grade student tests positive - Three students from the child’s class and the teacher, and seven students from the After School Program must quarantine for two weeks.

Holly Springs ES STEM Academy - One 3rd grade student tested positive - Nine students and the teacher must quarantine for two weeks.

Liberty Elementary School - A kindergarten student tested positive - five students must quarantine.  

Mountain Road Elementary School - One 2nd grade teacher tested positive - 19 students and the teacher must quarantine for two weeks. 

R.M. Moore ES STEM Academy - Kindergarten teacher showed signs of COVID-19 after being exposed to a family member who tested positive - The affected classroom will be temporarily closed, and the teacher, paraprofessional and 16 students in the class must quarantine for two weeks.

Sixes Elementary School - Second-grade student tested positive - The classroom has been temporarily closed, and the teacher and 20 other students in the class must quarantine for two weeks.

Woodstock Elementary School - A 3rd grade student and a staff member tested positive. One teacher and 18 students must quarantine.  

Woodstock High School - One 12th grade student and one 11th grade student tested positive - 34 students must quarantine for two weeks.

11Alive is focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the virus. We want to keep you informed about the latest developments while ensuring that we deliver confirmed, factual information.

We will track the most important coronavirus elements relating to Georgia on this page. Refresh often for new information.

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