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Another 35 Forsyth County students, staff test positive for COVID-19
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Forsyth County Schools reported on Monday that another 35 students and staff members tested positive for COVID-19 last week, between Aug. 24 and Aug. 28.

According to data released by the chool district, 65 students and staff have tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus since schools first opened for both virtual and in-person learning on Aug. 13 — with more than half of those cases being in the county’s high schools.

Forsyth County Schools spokeswoman Jennifer Caracciolo said that there are currently 23 active positive student coronavirus cases along with nine active positive staff cases.

The school system reported that three transportation staff members also tested positive this past week.

“As a community, over the past two weeks, we have had 190 new cases per 100,000 residents,” Caracciolo said. “That is about 0.19% of our total population.”

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Along with those who have tested positive, 1.8% of face-to-face students have gone into quarantine “for direct exposure,” according to the school system — up from 1.6% after the first full week of school. Out of 33,885 face-to-face students, that would mean approximately 609 are currently in quarantine, switching to virtual learning from home for the next two weeks. In addition, about 14 staff members are currently in quarantine.

Caracciolo said that any person who is face-to-face, regardless of if they are a student or staff member, are asked to quarantine if they have been directly exposed to the virus. This includes anyone who has kept a distance of less than six feet from someone who has tested positive for at least 15 consecutive minutes.

Caracciolo said that “a number of students” who were in quarantine returned to face-to-face learning on Monday.

For more information, visit the Forsyth County Schools’ website, forsyth.k12.ga.us/restartforsyth. The system updates the number of reported COVID-19 cases in each school each weekday by 6 p.m.

The school system noted that, now that schedules have been finalized, the numbers provided on its website moving forward will not include 100% virtual students. These numbers will, however, still include all staff members as both face-to-face and virtual teachers are still working inside of the schools.