From State School Superintendent Richard Woods today:

After being notified that an employee had been diagnosed with COVID-19 (coronavirus), Fulton County Schools made the decision to close all schools today and to make an announcement about next steps by 5 p.m. today. We support this decision and thank Superintendent Mike Looney for his leadership and for taking care to ensure students’ safety.

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We are advising all Georgia school districts to continue following the guidance of the Georgia Department of Public Health and their local boards of health. At this time, school closures are not recommended for other areas.

All school districts should continue to take preventative measures, including providing ample time for students and staff to wash their hands and developing plans to continue student learning should your school district need to close for several days.

Parents should keep children who are sick at home – don’t send them to school. Teach your children to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds and to stay at least three feet away from people who are sick.

Georgians can be confident the safety of our students is our first priority. I thank Governor Kemp for acting proactively to protect all Georgians. We will continue to work closely with him and with Public Health to ensure schools have the most up-to-date information, resources, and support regarding COVID-19.

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Angie McBrayer, ex-wife of James Aaron McBrayer, leans her head on her son Sam McBrayer as she and her three children and two grandchildren (from left) Jackson McBrayer, 3, Piper Jae McBrayer, 7, Katy Isaza, and Jordan McBrayer, visit the grave of James McBrayer, Thursday, November 20, 2025, in Tifton. He died after being restrained by Tift County sheriff's deputies on April 24, 2019. His ex-wife witnessed the arrest and said she thought the deputies were being rough but did not imagine that McBrayer would die. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC