LOWNDES COUNTY, Ga . (WTXL) — More than 700 Lowndes County students are now in quarantine due to possible exposure to COVID-19.
Parents in Lowndes County are wondering whether their child will be next after school contact tracing lands hundreds of students in quarantine.
According to the most recent data released from the district, 602 students could have possibly been exposed to coronavirus at school, many of them participants in extracurricular activities.
Bonnie Peters has two children in the district, one of them in ROTC. While their group isn't one of those in quarantine they may have inadvertently come into contact with some that are.
"Even though the kids have been all been wearing their masks and everything, these football players, these cheerleaders, these bridge players they've been in classrooms with all these other students," said Peters.
Peters says she wants to see bold action from district leaders.
"You know to not shut the school down is I think a bad move," Peters said.
Kristin Patten, the public information officer with the Georgia Department of Public Health's South District says decisions on school closures are up to the district.
"The health department would not make that recommendation," said Patten. "That would come from the local government or the school system."
Patten adds that everyone county-wide needs to be extra cautious as the number of positive cases continues to rise.
"We have seen a pretty significant increase over the last week and a half two weeks and so we just want to continue to encourage everyone to make sure that they're taking those precautions, staying home if they are sick," Patten said. "And if you are exposed to anyone with COVID-19 make sure that you're following those quarantine orders and staying home staying home from school."
We reached out to district leaders for comment, but they declined.
According to the school's reopening plan, if a school closure occurs all traditional options students will remain at home to learn remotely via Google Meets.
