DeKalb Closes First School Due to COVID Spread

The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is closing Oak View Elementary School effectual Sept. 3 aft 18 students tested affirmative for COVID-19, Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris announced Thursday morning.

A full of 108 students were retired of schoolhouse Thursday including the 18 who tested affirmative and 90 students who they came successful adjacent interaction with. Thirteen unit members are besides successful quarantine aft being successful interaction with the students.

“There are nary different schools successful this situation— this acute situation, arsenic the 1 we’ve decided to close,” said Superintendent Watson-Harris astatine a property league Thursday afternoon.

Watson-Harris said the determination to adjacent Oak View was made implicit concerns astir the schools’ quality to run efficaciously with truthful galore unit members successful quarantine.

Stacy Stepney caput of the COVID task unit said nary azygous metric went into deciding to adjacent Oak View. DCSD worked successful collaboration with the DeKalb County Board of Health to marque the last decision.

Dr. Deborah Moore-Sanders,  Interim Deputy Superintendent, Student Support & Intervention told the media Thursday that interaction tracing would beryllium handled done the region committee of health.

She added that DCSD is successful the process of applying for surveillance investigating to beryllium conducted done the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Until past Watson-Harris said that DCSD is encouraging each unit and eligible students to get vaccinated. From a voluntary unit survey that received 5 1000 responses, 89 percent of unit indicated they were vaccinated.

Oak View Elementary School volition reopen Monday, September 13. While the gathering is closed DCSD volition bash a heavy cleaning of the full schoolhouse and disinfect surfaces.

Every Friday DCSD updates their COVID Health & Safety leafage with the fig of students and unit who person tested affirmative oregon travel successful interaction with idiosyncratic who has tested positive.