DeKalb County School District Interim Superintendent Ramona Tyson has formed a coronavirus task force to monitor schools and updates from authorities on how to combat the disease.

The task force was developed over the weekend, Tyson said, before Georgia officials announced two confirmed cases of the virus in Fulton County, the first confirmed cases in the state.

Tyson said by email that the task force was prompted by the ever-growing crisis as the virus expands its reach. Officials on the task force, from different departments across the school district, met Monday.

Known as COVID-19, the coronavirus is characterized by fever and coughing, even pneumonia and shortness of breath. Most cases have been confirmed in China, where roughly 80,000 of the 100,000 cases have been found. At least 2,800 people there have died.

DeKalb County School District teachers and children are being told to be vigilant about their prevention efforts for the coronavirus, too. Letters sent to parents talk about the importance of washing hands with soap and water, avoiding people who are sick and staying home if illness occurs. Some teachers also have been having students wipe down desks and work stations between classes.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Kiley King, an 11th grader who attended Parklane Elementary School in East Point reacts to the Fulton County Board of Education’s vote to close the elementary school on Thursday, Feb 20, 2025. Parents, teachers, students and community members filled the public comment time asking to keep Parklane and Spalding Drive elementary schools open. (Jenni Girtman for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Credit: Jenni Girtman

Featured

State Rep. Matt Reeves, R-Duluth, introduces himself while attending an AAPI mental health event at Norcross High School on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024. (Ben Gray for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Gray