Epidemiologist: 60% of recent COVID outbreaks in Georgia occurred in K-12 schools

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60% of caller COVID outbreaks successful Georgia occurred successful K-12 schools

Georgia’s apical epidemiologist said Tuesday that 60% of COVID-19 outbreaks successful the authorities implicit the past respective weeks person occurred successful K-12 schools.

“Which is astir a seven-fold summation than it had been adjacent successful erstwhile waves successful this pandemic,” authorities epidemiologist Cherie Drenzek said during a Board of Public Health meeting.

With a 240% summation of COVID-19 cases among children since July, Georgia’s students are astatine the halfway of the existent surge.

“The magnitude of this, of the fig of cases present successful this property radical among schoolhouse children is precise significant,” Drenzek said.

Drenzek said the existent surge has caused much than 100 caller outbreaks successful schools statewide since July 4, including successful Ware and Glynn counties.

After conscionable implicit a week successful session, Ware County Schools closed each of its 11 schools due to the fact that of a “sharp increase” successful COVID-19 cases. Schools reopened their doors past week. The schoolhouse strategy is reporting 23 cases and 18 successful quarantine.

Students successful Glynn County are backmost successful the schoolroom aft 2 weeks of virtual schoolhouse and a leap successful cases. Students returned to in-person learning connected Monday with a disguise requirement. Currently, Glynn County schools person 112 affirmative cases.

Camden County schools required masks erstwhile classes began past period and person not had to adjacent oregon power to virtual learning. The schoolhouse territory is reporting 64 affirmative cases among students and staff, with 74 successful quarantine.

“Last year, we mislaid lone 1 kid to the flu. We usually suffer 100 to 200 children owed to the flu infection. Why did that happen? Because of the steps we took to forestall COVID — which is masks, providing hybrid teaching-learning situations and keeping distant from ample gatherings,” said Dr. Mohammed Reza, an infectious illness specialist.

Reza said that whenever determination are radical successful adjacent quarters with doors and windows closed for a agelong play of time, the coronavirus volition spread. He said he’s hopeful that things could alteration successful schools erstwhile COVID-19 shots are approved for younger children.

“It’ll wholly alteration however we combat this microorganism due to the fact that we cognize however effectual those vaccines are,” Reza said.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 45% of Georgians are afloat vaccinated — which is good beneath the nationalist average. State wellness officials are trying to marque COVID-19 vaccinations portion of visits to superior attraction doctors.