ATLANTA — The Fulton County School System has revealed what it would take for the district to transition fully to virtual learning. According to a statement from the school system, if case levels rise to over 1,250 per 100,000 people, students will have to switch from in-person instruction.
The guidance is based on a new strategy the district launched to help it develop plans for in-person learning as COVID cases in the state continue to rise. It's called the "Mitigation Matrix."
The school system said leaders have been developing the strategic plan since the start of the pandemic.
"In the Mitigation Matrix, as the level of infection in the wider community increases, the intensity of the district’s response increases as well. When the rate of infection declines, the intensity of our mitigation practices will relax. The Mitigation Matrix will take effect immediately," the school system said.
The Mitigation Matrix essentially serves as a guide to help the school make decisions on COVID protocols.
Right now Fulton Schools is at the lowest level of 100 cases per 100,000 people, currently requiring masks and limiting visitors in all schools. However, the Mitigation Matrix has several different plans of action for fluctuating case levels, including turning to 100% virtual learning with no athletics if the virus spreads to reach 1,250 cases per 100,000 people in the school system.
The decision is made based on case levels reported in the 14-day positive trend rate per 100,000 people from the district's weekly Board of Health Epidemiology Report.
You can find a full summary of the Mitigation Matrix online here.