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FCS Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update for October 27, 2021
Good news has been coming in about the number of COVID-19 cases in Fulton County, which appear to have peaked and have been trending downward since early September. Due to the high level of mitigation compliance across the district, FCS has been able to focus its effort on in-person learning and limiting disruption to instruction. The recovery process will take more time; however, we are very proud of the efforts of our students and staff throughout the pandemic.
At the beginning of the school year, Fulton County Schools implemented a Mitigation Matrix, which uses data from our public health partners to make recommendations about how to best provide a productive and safe learning environment. The level of mitigation increases or decreases in proportion to the number of cases in the community.
Now, with the decreases in COVID numbers and calling upon the successful experience managing mitigation practices, the district is modifying the Mitigation Matrix to include local school data when making decisions about masking.
Schools will return to mask optional status based on any one of the following three criteria:
1. Before November 1, 2021, masks will be optional in schools and buildings in municipalities where the rate of infection has dropped below 100 per 100,000 for two consecutive weeks.
2. Beginning November 1, 2021, the district will start waiving masking for individual schools if the ratio of cases in a school remains less than .01 of enrollment.
3. Thirty days following the expansion of vaccine eligibility for children five and older, masks will become optional for students, staff and visitors.
At the present time, masks will still be mandated on buses in compliance with federal mandates.
FCS will continue to monitor attendance rates and reported cases by classroom and school. If a school, grade level, class or team experiences an increase in COVID-19 positive cases, they may move to mask required status. Additionally, masks are still required on buses in compliance with federal mandate.
As always, the district is focused on providing uninterrupted, high-quality face-to-face instruction for students while attending to their social and emotional needs. While 83 percent of FCS employees have already received the vaccine, the district continues to encourage staff and faculty to get vaccinated and hopes to expand partnerships to provide families with more access to home testing kits.
Please continue to employ practices to contain the level of infection in our communities, like physical distancing and frequent hand washing, which help keep our students and schools safe and focused on learning. COVID-19 contact tracing standards for staff/students who come into direct contact with a COVID-19 positive individual remain unchanged. If a student exhibits COVID-19 symptoms, they should not attend school. Be sure to report any positive cases through the employee or parent portal.