The Chattooga County School System is seeing a dramatic spike in COVID-19 cases among students and staff.  Numbers from the school system show that since Monday of this week, there are 72 students and 21 adults in the school system who have tested positive.

Menlo Elementary School is particularly hard-hit.  In fact, the school is a half of a percentage point (.5) away from going to Phase 2 of the school system’s COVID-19 protocol.  Basically, Phase 2 would mean that students would be in school on Monday and Tuesday and the school would be closed for cleaning on Wednesday.  Students would then return on Thursday and Friday and the school would be cleaned again over the weekend.

School officials told WZQZ News that if one more student at Menlo tests positive Thursday, the school would move to Phase 2.

WZQZ News spoke with Jeff Martin at the county office who said that parents can help with the problem by not sending children to school if they are sick.  If a child has a fever, they should not return to school until 24-hours after the fever is gone.  If a child has tested positive for COVID-19, the child needs to quarantine for five days.  When they return to school, children who have been quarantined will be required to wear masks for 5 days.

Mr. Martin said if anyone has any questions, they are welcome to call the school superintendent’s office.  Martin added that with MLK Day coming up on Monday, it will give a chance for more social distancing between students and hopefully slow down the spread of sickness in the school system.