Hall County mandates masks at yet another school as COVID cases rise

(Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash)

Due to an increase in positive COVID-19 cases, the Hall County School System has added another school to its list of schools under mask mandates.

Effective tomorrow, August 17, all students, staff, and visitors to Sugar Hill Elementary School and East Hall High School will be required to wear masks or face coverings through August 30.

As of Monday morning, Sugar Hill reported ten positive cases of COVID, including three students and seven staff members. East Hall High reported an increase of 15 cases this afternoon, including 14 students and one staff member.

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The school system is also requiring one class at Sardis Elementary to mask up through August 30. As of this morning, Sardis had seven positive COVID cases involving one staff member and six students.

Hall County Schools spokesperson Stan Lewis clarified late Thursday that those mandates only require people to wear masks while indoors. They do not apply to outdoor activities.

Lewis says the district will continue to monitor the COVID-19 numbers in all of its schools and will be “prepared to adjust its mitigation measures when appropriate and necessary.”

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