COVID-19 Updates + Alerts

Announcing Increases in COVID-19 Cases and Recommendations

Updates include the new COVID-19 variants and ways to reduce the risk of illness.

As the Atlanta Public School community settles into the new school year, we would like to offer some reminders and updates on the current COVID-19 situation. 

Staying Informed about the New COVID-19 Variant and Increases in COVID-19 Cases: 

An increase in COVID-19 cases and respiratory illness have been identified across our school district. This increase comes after the identification of new COVID-19 variants that are currently circulating in our communities. The new strains tend to infect the upper respiratory tract, causing a runny nose, sore throat, and other cold-like symptoms. 

Recommended Health and Safety Measures:

With the well-being of our students and staff in mind, we continue to reinforce the following protocols and recommendations: 

1. Follow Isolation Protocols: Individuals who test positive for COVID-19 should isolate (stay home) for at least 5 days from symptom start or sample collection date (if no symptoms). 
2. Notify your school immediately via a Self-Report if you test positive for COVID-19: 
   • Staff Report: http://tinyaps.com/?CovidStaffForm
   • Student Report: http://tinyaps.com/?CovidStudentForm  
3.  Practice healthy behaviors to reduce risk: We highly encourage individuals to practice handwashing and stay up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations. 
4. Encouraging the use of masks: Although mask-wearing is optional, we encourage using masks as an additional layer of protection.
5. Follow Sick Protocols: Individuals who present with symptoms should stay home and seek medical advice if symptoms do not improve or cause concern. 
6. Seek COVID-19 testing if you develop symptoms or a COVID-19 exposure is identified: Over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 test kits may be available at your APS school. OTC COVID-19 test kits must not be administered to students or staff by APS school nurses or other staff. On-site testing is not permitted for students or staff. Students should take OTC test kits home to have them administered by parents or guardians. You may also obtain testing from your healthcare provider, urgent care, or other community testing sites found here https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/Page/65380. 

We continue to monitor the increase in COVID-19 cases closely, the identification of new variants of interest, and continue to collaborate with local health authorities to make informed decisions related to any increases in COVID-19 cases and other respiratory illnesses. We also continue to maintain cleaning protocols aligned with EPA standards. 

If you have questions or need further information, please visit our APS COVID-19 Updates + Alerts: https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/covid or submit a Let’s Talk! Dialogue via the APS website: https://www.atlantapublicschools.us/domain/14240.

For the 2023 – 2024 school year, Atlanta Public Schools has modified some COVID-19 mitigation strategies to better reflect guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These updates are in response to the GA DPH COVID-19 testing availability and low COVID-19 trends.

These updates include,

• Ending COVID-19 surveillance testing in APS Schools
• Ending mandatory COVID-19 surveillance testing for APS staff
• APS will no longer provide updated reports of positive cases by schools.
• Continued availability of at-home COVID-19 test kits at schools.
• Continued isolation protocols for those who test positive.
  • Positive cases staying home during their isolation period.
  • Reporting positive cases to APS
    • Staff self-report form: http://tinyaps.com/?CovidStaffForm 
    • Student self-report form: http://tinyaps.com/?CovidStudentForm