COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Metro Atlanta Schools have reported hundreds of new COVID cases in the first few days of school. Among the hot spots is Cobb County, which is still operating under a mask optional policy.
As of Friday, the Cobb County School district said that out of the more than 107,000 students enrolled in schools, they had confirmed 253 new COVID cases. Parents are telling 11Alive they're upset about the lack of masking and quarantine procedures put in place by the district.
"When a student in your child’s class tests positive, they don’t have to tell you unless your student was sitting next to them…and the only way you’re hearing that they were in contact with that student is if another parent tells you," Cobb County parent Cherish Burnham said.
Another parent, Becky Slayer saying she's frustrated with the district's current quarantine policy.
“It’s a terrifying thing to hear as a parent about a case in your child’s class…to not know how severe it is or how severe it could get. And to know that there are likely more students in that class that have been exposed that will be in class the next day," Slayer said.
Some parents said the list of exposure notices continue to grow by the day. On Friday, a kindergarten parent at Nickajack Elementary School says they were notified by the school about a possible exposure. In the message, parents were informed that students who were asymptomatic could still attend school.
The district updated their quarantine policy last week, which says anyone identified as close contact, but appears asymptomatic, can return to school. They are, however, required to wear a mask for 10 days.
A district spokesperson releasing this statement about the uptick in cases:
"The totals published by the District every Friday, which can be found here, include all confirmed and active cases of COVID-19. These totals are organized by school, include both weekly and cumulative totals, and are confirmed by both nursing and public health staff. The COVID-19 confirmation and contact tracing process involves layers of confirmation, communication, and collaboration. We encourage media and public questions about school or District COVID-19 totals be directed to the District’s COVID-19 notification page, not social media or other forms of “the rumor mill."
According to the district, as of Friday, elementary schools have reported the highest total for cases. No school in the county is reporting more than 10 active cases currently. At last check, Cobb and Marietta City Schools are the only districts in metro Atlanta that have made mask optional policies.