A second Newton County school system employee has tested positive or the coronavirus, the district said Wednesday.

The employee, who was not identified, works at Clements Middle School in Covington, the district posted on its website.

“According to the health department, this employee did not begin exhibiting symptoms until after schools were closed,” the district said. “Because this individual was not present in any of our buildings and did not have any contact with students or staff at the onset of symptoms, the health department has informed us that the risk of transmission is extremely low for our students and staff.

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On Sunday, the school system said an employee of the Newton County Theme School had also tested posted. The Covington school has students from kindergarten through 8th grade, according to the district. The Gwinnett-Newton-Rockdale Department of Health informed the district of the positive diagnosis Sunday.

“The Health Department is conducting an investigation and is working to identify close contacts of the employee and take every precaution necessary to ensure the health and safety of those individuals,” the district posted.

Earlier Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed 197 cases of the coronavirus in the state. Three cases have been confirmed in Newton.

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Joe Rich had moved to 3935 Paces Manor 2.5 year ago. on Tuesday, Sept. 22,2009, he was trapped at his house with no way out - but a boat. He has been ferrying various things back and forth and is surprised he still has power. Vinings residents were dealing with a major flooding issue Tuesday, as the Chattahoochee River made its way along the banks near Paces Ferry Road.  Many residents with upscale homes were hit hard, some for the second time since an earlier post millennia flooding episode. Since early Monday, seven lives have been taken and several other people remain missing. The record-setting rains also have closed schools and roads and have left people stranded in their homes. The river's level near Vinings was at 27.36 feet before daybreak Tuesday after cresting at 28.1 feet overnight. Flood stage is 14 feet, and anything above 20 feet is considered "major" flooding. (Photo: John Spink, jspink@ajc.com)

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Former CDC employee Barbara Marston (right) protests the recent firings and budget cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Tuesday, April 01, 2025 (Ben Hendren for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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