FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. — The Fayette County school system said Wednesday that it was shifting how it approaches COVID-19, recognizing the virus as endemic.
Going forward, Fayette County Public Schools said in a note sent home to parents and employees, "positive cases in schools will be treated the same as other communicable diseases (i.e. flu, chickenpox)."
The note added that COVID notification protocols would be changing so that parents and guardians only receive a close contact letter if school administration and the school nurse determine "that the virus is being transmitted from person to person in a classroom, grade level or building."
"Parents and guardians will continue to receive letters notifying them of the first positive COVID-19 case at their child's school for the week," the letter said, explaining the policy. "Only one notification letter will be sent per week for the first positive case."
The policy is set to take effect on Thursday, Feb. 24.
The school system added that as part of the policy, it would now post a daily report of positive case counts per school. The daily report had previously shown a cumulative case total countywide.
"All students and employees are required to follow the Georgia Department of Public Health COVID-19 guidelines for isolation and quarantine. We have developed a COVID-19 Decision Chart to guide parents and employees on the steps to take regarding a positive or suspected case of COVID-19, or exposure to someone who has tested positive for the virus," Fayette County Public Schools said. "The school system will continue to take precautionary measures against the spread of COVID-19 with frequent sanitizing of high touch surfaces, regularly scheduled electrostatic spraying of classrooms and buildings, and encouraging hand washing/sanitizing."