DeKalb County School District Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson said Monday that all school-related out-of-state and international travel is cancelled immediately, as the coronavirus continues to spread across metro Atlanta and the country.
The announcement was made less than a day after Gov. Brian Kemp announced several more Georgians were being tested for the virus and shortly after Fulton County Schools announced schools would close Tuesday after it was discovered that an employee there tested positive for the coronavirus.
Known as COVID-19, the coronavirus is characterized by fever and coughing, even pneumonia and shortness of breath.
“We will be issuing formal public communication on protocols in dealing with the coronavirus,” Tyson said during the DeKalb County Board of Education’s committee of the whole meeting. “As you know, the nation is reacting and responding and preparing for a very difficult time due to COVID-19.”
Employee travel outside the state also has been cancelled, she said, adding that new requests for out-of-state or international travel will not be approved at this time. Trips planned in the state, including those in metro Atlanta, will be approved on a case-by-case basis, with consideration given to whether any coronavirus cases have been identified in the area where the travel will take place.
Tyson said the district will be working with schools on getting reimbursements where able for the district and for any family contributions.
Tyson recently formed a coronavirus task force to handle logistics for how the district dealt with a potential crisis around an outbreak, including closing schools and moving to digital learning.
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