COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Channel 2 Action News has learned that two Cobb County teachers died of COVID-19 Thursday, just hours apart.
Channel 2 Cobb County Bureau Chief Chris Jose was in Marietta, where district officials confirmed that Kemp Elementary School teacher Dana Johnson died Thursday from the virus. Johnson was hospitalized with COVID-19 in early December.
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“Our hearts go out to the Johnson family and the entire Kemp community. Ms. Johnson was a valuable part of our academic community. The outpouring of support for her family during this difficult time shows how much she was loved and positively impacted those around her." - CCSD https://t.co/JXomMrYfVq pic.twitter.com/ckGrWVS6wA
— Chris Jose (@ChrisJoseWSB) January 21, 2021
Cynthia Lindsey, who is a paraprofessional with the district, died Thursday afternoon, friends confirmed to Jose.
#BREAKING A 2nd Cobb County School District educator has died today from coronavirus. A close family friend gave me the update in an email. She tells me Cynthia Lindsey’s family was by her side at the hospital. Cynthia was a parapro at Sedalia Park Elementary. Live at 5. @wsbtv pic.twitter.com/1y6uHFomuu
— Chris Jose (@ChrisJoseWSB) January 21, 2021
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Jose was set to do an interview with Lindsey’s daughter and close friends Thursday, but overnight, her condition had worsened.
“They’ve done everything they can do. It’s in God’s hands now,” Jose was told via text message earlier Thursday.
Friends told Jose that Lindsey’s family had gathered around her at the hospital.
Lindsey worked at Sedalia Park Elementary School. The mother worked three jobs to make ends meet.
She spent the last 12 days on a ventilator with the coronavirus and pneumonia.
Jose spoke to Connie Jackson, the president of the Cobb County Association of Educators, who said she is devastated for Lindsey’s family and for her students.
[LINK: Where to find the COVID-19 vaccine in Georgia]
“Know that the prayers of the entire school district are with you. We’ll be there to support you. Anything that we can do, we’re here,” Jackson said.
The district has gone all virtual this week, but next week, face-to-face learning will resume. Teachers are planning to protest at a school board meeting Thursday night.
Three Cobb County teachers have now died of the coronavirus.
Hendricks Elementary School teacher Patrick Key died on Christmas Day after contracting the virus.
Key’s wife told Channel 2 Action News that her husband came home from school on Nov. 6 and started to feel sick. Two days later, she came down with symptoms. The couple tested positive for COVID-19 the next day.
Jackson said she doesn’t want any more Cobb teachers to die.
“It breaks my heart,” Jackson said. “Employees shouldn’t have to die to do their job. I don’t want to see anybody else in the ICU. And I don’t want to see anybody else die.”
Friends have set up a GoFundMe for Johnson’s family HERE.
The GoFundMe for Lindsey is HERE.
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