Covid in the Classroom? Some Schools Are Keeping It Quiet

I live here, have grandchildren that go to schools in Camden County. They are not actually in school, but taking the virtual course offered.

Still, they have friends who are actually going to school. I find it hard to believe that no one I know has heard about whole classes being quarantined.

I don't know the woman quoted in the article, but was able to find her Facebook page. She has quite a few posts about virtual classes.

I'm not sure what to think. It is from the New York Times. Smear campaign against Kemp's mandate against mandatory mask?

"Such is the fear in Camden County, where in recent weeks the 40-bed hospital in St. Marys, the county seat, had to divert ambulances elsewhere because of a crush of coronavirus patients.

Kiisa Kennedy let her 11th-grade son attend classes because the district was not providing certain advanced courses to remote learners, or letting them play sports.
Kiisa Kennedy let her 11th-grade son attend classes because the district was not providing certain advanced courses to remote learners, or letting them play sports.Credit...Charlotte Kesl for The New York Times
Although the district offered a choice between remote learning and in-person instruction, some families said they felt pressure to return when school started this month. Kiisa Kennedy, whose two children go to Camden County High School, said she agreed to let her 11th-grade son, a football player, attend classes because the district was not providing certain advanced courses to remote learners or letting them participate in sports.

Like other parents, she said she had heard of at least nine positive cases in the schools and entire classes that had to be quarantined, but the district refused to answer questions.

“They’ve been very hush-hush,” she said. “We as parents cannot make informed decisions because they’re withholding the information.”

The school district did not respond to several requests for comment.

Ginger Heidel, a spokeswoman for the Coastal Health District, the agency that covers several coastal counties in Georgia including Camden, declined to answer questions about virus cases in schools, citing privacy laws. She said schools were only required to alert people who have been in close contact with someone who had tested positive, but were allowed to notify the community “if they want.”

Last week, the Camden County school district reversed course on its mask-optional policy, announcing that they would now be required on school grounds. But the announcement came with no information about cases linked to schools."

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"As Georgia Governor Brian Kemp renews his efforts to keep localities from issuing mask mandates, a White House report that has not been made public "strongly" recommends a statewide mask mandate. "

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