CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — With the conclusion of the first week of school, Cherokee County has issued its first report on the status of COVID-19 cases among staff and students, revealing 17 positive cases district-wide.
According to the county's case status report, seven are student cases and 10 are staff cases.
As a result of the cases, roughly 150 students and staff at the various schools will be quarantining for the next two weeks.
Of the student cases, two are from Cherokee High School in Canton, along with one each at Creekland Middle School, Dean Rusk Middle School, Hasty Elementary Fine Arts Academy, Holly Springs Elementary STEM Academy and Sixes Elementary School.
There is no overlap between the schools with student cases and staff cases at this point. The schools with staff cases include two each at Creekview High School and Ball Ground Elementary STEM Academy, as well as one each at Avery Elementary School, Bascomb Elementary School, Freedom Middle School, Mountain Road Elementary School, R.M. Moore Elementary STEM Academy, and Woodstock Elementary School.
At least two new letters were sent Friday to parents of students at Cherokee High and Bascomb Elementary.
At Cherokee, an 11th and 12th grader, who are unrelated, tested positive. The high school said it would not require the closure of a class. The district said neither had symptoms, and last attended school on Wednesday (the 11th grader) and Tuesday (the 12th grader).
The 11th grader exposed 13 students who must now quarantine for two weeks while the 12th grader exposed 10, the district said.
Administrators at Bascomb also said no classes would have to be closed, saying that an after school program worker had tested positive and the program was "self-contained."
In all, eight letters were sent out this week to notify parents about COVID-19 situations.
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