LAMAR COUNTY, Ga. — For at least two weeks, Lamar County Schools will close its doors due to a rise in COVID-19 cases.
In a heartfelt letter on social media last week, the district announced it would impose the pause for its students. They said the halt, which started Monday, Aug. 23, will cover 10 scheduled school days and will give them a 17-day break to deal with quarantines and confirmed cases.
With this latest news, 11Alive is taking a deep dive into where the numbers for Lamar County stand right now. So far, data shows the county has had more than 1,700 cases. Children between 1 and 17 years old make up nearly a quarter of all infections.
The graph below shows a breakdown of cases by age groups.
While the number of cases isn't massive, Lamar County does have a high positivity rate. Right now it sits above 23%. Health officials have long recommended that number stay 5% for two weeks before governments consider reopening.
Below is a graph that shows the change in the positivity rate since the beginning of the year.
Meanwhile, vaccine rates remain low in in Lamar County. Only 28% of residents are fully vaccinated, which is half of the statewide average. Adults over the age of 65 make up the bulk of people who've received the shots.
As for the school district, Superintendent Dr. Jute Wilson said there just aren't enough healthy employees to staff the schools and lead class.
"The 10 days of missed school are really 17 calendar days, so, we really hope during that time that quarantines will run its course, that those that are sick will be able to get well," Wilson said. "We really just ask everyone to focus on their health for this week and we should be in a better place."
Wilson said there's now a plan in place to make up the 10 days of missed classes. After the pause, students will be offered the option to do virtual learning through fall break in October.