Cobb County Schools reports 100 cases of COVID-19 among students, staff

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Cobb County Schools says the Georgia Department of Health has reported 100 suspected cases of COVID-19 involving students or staff in the last month.

The school district, which has about 113,000 students, will start the year virtually on Aug. 17.

The Superintendent said the district will remain virtual "until public health data in Cobb County changes and guidance from state and local public health officials recommends it."

CCSD officials said that any time a Cobb student or staff member reports a suspected case, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirms the case through testing and contact traces anyone who may have been exposed. People who have confirmed cases of COVID-19 are asked to quarantine for 10 days.

BACK 2 SCHOOL

• COUNTY-BY-COUNTY: Plans for returning to school this fall
• Hundreds of Cobb County families receiving food boxes during COVID-19 pandemic
• Cobb County parents calling on district leaders to reinstate face-to-face learning

The school district is not releasing information about the individual cases to protect medical privacy.

Last week, a large group of parents gathered at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta to demand an in-person learning option. Cobb County had initially planned to offer parents a choice of either in-person instruction or virtual instruction.

“Kids do not learn as well digitally as they do face-to-face. I just want the choice back to get my son back in school,” mother Anita Merryman said.

An online petition urging the school district to reinstate a face-to-face learning option has more than 8,000 signatures as of Friday morning.

As of Thursday, Cobb County has reported 12,718 coronavirus cases, 313 deaths and 1,350 hospitalizations, according to the state Department of Public Health.

Cobb County parents to rally to have in-person teaching for new school year The rally is scheduled for Saturday.

Cox Media Group