As fears grow about the spread of coronavirus, some Georgia schools are turning to virtual classrooms in preparation for the possibility of prolonged school closures. Cherokee County schools had already been preparing for more than a year to use digital learning in cases of inclement weather.

Barbara P. Jacoby, chief communications officer for the Cherokee County School District, said the district is prepared to use digital classroom technology in the event of a closure.

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“In the event we were to need to close schools, for any reason, our Canvas online learning management system, which our students and teachers have tested for the past year, allows for teaching and learning to continue in these situations,” Jacoby said in a statement emailed to parents.

She said the district is working closely with the Georgia Department of Public Health and that custodians are dedicated to keeping schools clean and safe.

WSB-TV received statements from several other school districts, all of which affirmed their commitment to monitoring and responding to any reported cases of the virus. Fulton County said in its statement that schools also intended to use digital classroom technology to “ensure continuation of instruction.”

There have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in Georgia yet, but the first death in the United States of COVID-19 was confirmed Saturday in the Seattle area. An Atlanta couple tested positive for the virus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan earlier this month.

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