Fulton County

Parent says district’s COVID-19 notification system is too slow, could put kids at risk

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — As metro Atlanta schools work to contain COVID-19 outbreaks, one Fulton County parent said he’s concerned the notification system isn’t working the way it should.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones was in Fulton County, where Kenneth Anderson’s 13-year-old son attends Camp Creek Middle School.

Anderson said his son tested positive for COVID-19 last Wednesday, and he immediately called the school to let them know. He said he wanted to make sure his son’s case didn’t lead to a massive outbreak at the school.

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Anderson said he was told to fill out information on a parent web portal. That information would then be passed on to a nurse and then the nurse would let the principal know. The principal would tell the teacher, and an investigation would begin.

“Which could be a 2-day or 3-day process,” Anderson said. “By that time, you could have a lot of cases.”

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Jones asked the district about the protocols for when a student tests positive.

A spokesperson confirmed that parents must submit the COVID status to the web portal.

Officials said that has been proved to be an effective method, and the information is shared with student services and the board of health. Then contact tracing begins.

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The spokesperson said notification timing may vary and that parents will receive letters about potential exposure.

Anderson said he still hasn’t received a letter about his son possibly exposing others. He said he just wants to make sure he’s doing everything he can to keep other people safe.

“If they get sick, they can go and kill two or three other people and put people in the hospital, and that’s the last thing you want,” Anderson said.

The school system said it acts urgently when it comes to the safety of staff and students, so it is asking parents to be patient as it works through the pandemic.