Ware County closes all 11 schools after ‘sharp increase’ in COVID-19 cases

WARE COUNTY, Ga. – After conscionable implicit a week successful session, Ware County Schools made the determination Friday to enactment the schoolhouse twelvemonth connected clasp pursuing a “sharp increase” successful the fig of affirmative COVID-19 cases reported among students and staff.

The Southeast Georgia schoolhouse strategy said successful an email to parents it volition temporarily cease regular operations for accepted and integer students and astir unit members successful each 11 schools done Aug. 27 and students won’t instrumentality to schoolhouse until Sept. 7.

During the pause, acquisition volition not instrumentality place, but in-season extracurricular practices and competitions volition proceed arsenic scheduled.

The superintendent told News4Jax helium was optimistic to commencement the schoolhouse twelvemonth but present he’s nervous.

“Initially, we thought we were going to person a mean start,” said Bert Smith, Superintendent of Ware County Schools. He said schoolhouse is canceled mostly due to the fact that of staffing shortages with radical getting sick.

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“Our teachers are having to screen classes and they person to thatch their face-to-face students and code the kids successful quarantine. There’s not capable clip successful the day,” Smith said.

As of Friday, the schoolhouse territory determination were 76 students with a affirmative lawsuit who person attended schoolhouse during the vulnerability play and different 679 students who person been quarantined retired of 5,900 full students. Out of 950 schoolhouse employees, 67 are presently affirmative with the microorganism and different 150 person been quarantined.

Smith said 353 students are quarantined due to the fact that of vulnerability extracurricular of school.

“Our nursing clinics are overwhelmed with kids having to quarantine,” helium said. “Right present each time is simply a challenge.”

MORE | Georgia COVID-19 cases surpass 977K; latest information from wellness department

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Ware was 1 of the archetypal schoolhouse districts successful our viewing country to commencement the caller schoolhouse twelvemonth connected Aug. 4.

Earlier this week, the schoolhouse territory announced it would adjacent schools aboriginal Friday to heavy clean.

According to a study from the New York Times, cases successful the region person accrued precocious during the delta variant surge. The fig of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has besides risen successful the Ware County area, but deaths person remained astatine astir the aforesaid level. The trial positivity complaint successful Ware County is besides high, suggesting that cases are being importantly undercounted, the Times reported.

The schoolhouse territory said it volition merchandise further accusation arsenic it becomes disposable connected its website and Facebook page.

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In Ware County, determination are 12,314 radical with astatine slightest 1 dose, 35% of the population. About 29% of residents are afloat vaccinated, acold beneath the nationalist percentage. About 14% of 15 to 19-year-olds successful Ware are vaccinated.

The United States earlier this period reported that 70% of adults had received astatine slightest 1 dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

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