With the increasing concern of the Coronavirus (a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person) around the globe, Whitfield County Schools would like to remind students, parents, faculty and staff of simple, everyday actions that can be taken to prevent the spread of respiratory viruses.
1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. *Parents, please do not bring your child(ren) to school if they are sick.
2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
3. Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand santitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
4. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
5. Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
As always, the first priority of Whitfield County Schools is the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and their families. Therefore, our school district is closely monitoring the Coronavirus and making the necessary preparations in case the virus becomes more prevalent in our community. In situations like this, we always take our guidance from the medical professionals at our local Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. At this time, they are telling us that we are at low risk for the spread of the virus. As a system, we are being proactive in the prevention of any spread of the virus. We contract with a cleaning company to clean all facilities every day. They are using cleaning solutions designed to kill the Coronavirus.
We are told that the best prevention at school is to wash hands. Our teachers are diligent to give students opportunities to wash their hands frequently. They are supervising younger children to make sure that they are washing hands thoroughly. Symptoms of the Coronavirus are fever, onset of a cough, and shortness of breath. Symptoms appear 2 to 14 days after exposure, and the average incubation period is reported to be about 5 days. Eighty percent of patients with confirmed Coronavirus have only mild symptoms. If your children have any of these symptoms, please do not send them to school.
At this time the Georgia Department of Public Health has advised us that students who are not ill can safely attend school. The Georgia Department of Education is in regular contact with the Department of Health, and we receive updates almost daily. If their recommendations change, we will certainly let you know.
Should it become necessary to close a school or schools, our Teaching and Learning staff has a plan for continuing the education of our students. Of course, the plan varies with the grade level. Should we need to close, you will receive more specific information. Additional information on continuation of academics would be placed on our Whitfield County Schools website in the event of closure.
Whitfield County Schools is working closely with state health officials to monitor the evolution of the Coronavirus and its potential impact on our community. For more information regarding the Coronavirus, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.
