COVID case numbers are increasing in Hart County and spiking statewide as schools go back in session.
By Tuesday, Hart County had 41 active cases, or cases within the last two weeks, according to the Georgia DPH website. Confirmed deaths in Hart County was at 39 and probable deaths was listed at 17. The positive percentage rate over the past two weeks in Hart County was 14.6 percent after being reported at 3.2 percent July 12.
Superintendent Jay Floyd said he believes there are 18 to 20 students countywide that are currently positive, as of Tuesday, Aug. 10.
Floyd said most of the charter system’s COVID-19 protocols have remained unchanged since school let out for summer.
“As far as our internal protocol, we are doing the same thing we did last year as far as cleaning procedures, masks and vaccination encouragement,” Floyd said. “What’s a little different, I would say, is the contact for the quarantining is coming from the Department of Public Health.”
This year, the school system will report positive cases to the DPH, while the DPH will be the lead on contact tracing and make notifications to close contacts in partnership with the school system. Floyd said the DPH is concerned about tracking “clusters.”
The published protocols also state that the school system will not issue precautionary quarantines and schools will notify parents when a positive COVID case occurs in an individual’s classroom.
The individual is then asked to monitor themselves for symptoms for five days, but continue to go to school, unless symptoms develop.
Student and staff diagnosed with COVID-19 are asked to follow the DPH guidelines and stay home for 10 days from the onset of symptoms.
Georgia has a total of 44,238 active case and saw a spike of more than 10,000 new cases on Aug. 9, a total only surpassed once on Jan. 8. The counties with the highest concentration of cases per 100,000 people blanket south and southeast Georgia.
In Hart County, 7,918 people, or 31 percent, have been fully vaccinated. That number has risen by 180 people since July 19.