A Georgia school district that does not need masks has shut a significant school and now has more than 1,100 college students and staff in quarantine because of to the coronavirus.

The Cherokee County Faculty District, centered in Canton about 40 miles north of Atlanta, designed the announcement Tuesday, just eight days after its colleges reopened.

“This determination was not produced flippantly,” Superintendent Brian Hightower explained in a statement about the short term halt to in-man or woman instruction at Etowah Superior Faculty. He said the substantial college experienced 14 verified situations of coronavirus and 15 checks pending as of Tuesday early morning.

Connected: Cherokee County University District drew awareness final 7 days when pupils with no masks posed for a group picture.

“As a final result of the verified scenarios, 294 learners and staff are less than quarantine and, ought to the pending exams establish optimistic, that full would improve substantially,” the superintendent mentioned.

In complete, the district has 59 confirmed situations of the virus, Hightower explained.

It also has 1,156 students and 37 staff in quarantine, according to a district checklist.

Hightower warned that mainly because the coronavirus circumstances are predominantly at the district’s large schools more of people schools could be shut.

The Cherokee County district — which has an enrollment of 42,000, of whom more than 30,000 are obtaining in-man or woman instruction — endorses but does not involve learners to have on masks.

But the superintendent explained in his assertion that carrying masks may well aid avoid the closure of more colleges.

Related: We acquired a extensive assortment of responses.

“As your Superintendent, I dress in a mask every time I can’t social length,” Hightower said. “We know all mom and dad do not believe that the scientific investigate that suggests masks are beneficial, but I feel it and see masks as an important measure to aid us continue to keep schools open.”

“When we announced options to reopen educational facilities with options of in-particular person studying and Electronic Mastering at residence, we produced very clear the challenges that came alongside with this decision for our families,” he mentioned.

Tale carries on

Prior to the reopening of universities on Aug. 3, some teachers and mom and dad protested the district’s program.

In July, dozens of demonstrators, such as teachers, protested outside the house a college board meeting, in accordance to Ga General public Broadcasting.

Similar: Whitney Reddick’s obituary referred to as out Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials on the final decision to reopen educational institutions.

And some lecturers resigned prior to the university calendar year started out thanks to safety considerations, according to the Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-Information.

A person of them was trainer Allison Webb, who worked at Sequoyah High School.

“Out of 2,000 students in this university, 1,500 will be returning in man or woman — with out a mandatory mask requirement,” Webb explained to the information outlet in late July, declaring this frightened her.

Another instructor claimed she was also involved about the absence of a mask mandate, but planned to return to the classroom.

“My private concern is that I’m likely to die right before my vocation is in excess of, that this little virus is what is likely to consider me out, and not aged age or some horrific incident,” science instructor Olivia Vacid explained to the Tribune & Ledger News. “I do not comprehend the county’s refusal to mandate masking for pupils.”

This report was at first posted on NBCNews.com.



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