Monroe Co. school goes virtual, Macon reaches 6,000 cases and more COVID-19 updates
Monroe County Middle School became the first in Middle Georgia to temporarily return to entirely virtual instruction due to the number of students and staff “affected by COVID-19 diagnoses and exposure.”
Starting Monday and extending through Oct. 19, all classes will move online. The suspension of in-person classes runs for 10 school days and then into Fall Break. The Monroe County Board of Education made the call during an emergency board meeting Thursday afternoon after Superintendent Dr. Mike Hickman said the number of positive cases and exposures had “grown quickly” at the middle school. Thursday, 86 students and staff members were quarantined after seven students and one teacher tested positive for the coronavirus, with others waiting for test results.
“At the current time, face-to-face classes will continue at Mary Persons High School, all three elementary schools, and at the Monroe Academy Achievement Center,” the district said in a release. “Additionally, the Middle School ACCESS classes, Flexible Learning Program classes, and C-Team athletics will continue as scheduled.”
COVID-19 in Middle Georgia
Earlier this week, Bibb County schools Superintendent Dr. Curtis Jones posted a blog discussing his decision to keep Bibb schools virtual-only through the end of October. He noted that Bibb County was leading the area in cumulative COVID-19 cases and deaths.
“Bibb County is one of the counties most severely hit by COVID-19,” Jones wrote. “We are being affected more than others. So, when people ask me why we aren’t like others, the answer is because the numbers indicate that we have just been more severely hit.”
Macon has reported one of the highest totals and weighted average number of coronavirus-related deaths, with 168 deaths or 110.4 per 100,000 people.
While Bibb County’s case incidence rate — the average number of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people — continued to fall recently, according to the most recent North Central Health District report, the county once again fell into the White House Coronavirus Task Force’s red zone. State and federal data indicates that while Macon is down from mid-summer positive case highs, it’s still reporting more new cases than early in the pandemic.
The Houston County School District, which returned to in-person classes on Aug. 6, provides regular COVID-19 updates on its website. As of Sept. 21, 92 students and 35 employees had tested positive. Several area high school football teams have had to cancel games due to the coronavirus, including Perry and Westfield.
COVID-19 in colleges
Universities and colleges in the region continue to report COVID-19 tests and positive cases.
Mercer University had 14 positive tests out of 571 administered between Sept. 18-24. That’s down from 36 positives last week. Middle Georgia State University reported 13 cases between Sept. 14-20, while Georgia college reported seven between Sept. 18-24. Wesleyan College reported one case in the past week.
The University of Georgia reported 70 positive cases out of almost 2,000 tests between Sept. 14-18, a 3.55% test positivity rate, which according to the CDC indicates enough tests are being performed.
Case update
The following is a breakdown of cumulative cases and deaths for counties in Middle Georgia.
- Bibb 6,024 cases - 168 deaths
- Houston 3,109 - 80
- Baldwin 2,087 - 56
- Laurens 1,632 - 67
- Monroe 676 - 50
Washington 666 - 8
- Peach 665 - 24
- Jones 545 - 8
- Bleckley 431 - 20
- Dodge 417 - 12
- Wilkinson 336 - 18
- Pulaski 312 - 22
- Macon 229 - 10
- Twiggs 187 - 7
- Crawford 166 - 5
The state reported 1,547 new cases across the state and 53 new deaths Wednesday. The Coliseum Health System in Macon is currently treating 19 coronavirus patients.
This story was originally published September 25, 2020 at 3:47 PM.
