ATLANTA — A worker at a Georgia Waffle House tested positive for COVID-19, prompting co-workers to quarantine themselves in their homes, company officials said Tuesday.
None of the co-workers from the restaurant in the Canton area have shown any signs of illness, the company said in the statement.
Meanwhile, five more people in Georgia have tested positive for the new coronavirus, as disease fears spread to school districts and the Georgia Capitol.
A total of 17 people in the state have now tested positive, according to figures released late Monday, although some tests have yet to be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The 17 cases are from eight Georgia counties: Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Fayette, Floyd, Fulton, and Polk, according to a statement from Gov. Brian Kemp.
For most people, the virus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover from the new virus.
At the Georgia Capitol, Republican House Speaker David Ralston on Tuesday announced that the page program will be suspended and visitors to the House floor will be limited. Members of the public will also be encouraged to watch proceedings via livestream rather than attending in person.
One of the state’s largest school districts - Fulton County Schools - closed all its schools for at least one day on Tuesday after a teacher at two middle schools was found to have COVID-19. According to data kept by Education Week, Fulton County is the largest school district to close nationwide.
Two other Georgia school systems told parents that employees had gone into self-quarantine after potential contact.
In Paulding County, west of Atlanta, parents of students at McGarity Elementary in Hiram were warned Monday that an employee is in self-quarantine after contact with someone who has a confirmed case of COVID-19. Officials said they fumigated the school Sunday.
The Harris County school district, just north of Columbus, announced Tuesday that a middle school teacher had made contact with U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, who has self-quarantined because of potential exposure. Collins is seeking a U.S. Senate seat and visited Columbus on Saturday for a Republican Party headquarters opening. About 250 people were at that event, WRBL-TV reported.
The teacher has self-quarantined “out of an abundance of caution,” the Harris County district said. Schools remain in session, although district officials said they are cleaning school buildings.
State Superintendent Richard Woods said in a Tuesday statement that schools should follow recommendations of health officials. “At this time, school closures are not recommended for other areas,” Woods said.
Voting officials were also taking precautions. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said his office has sent guidance to counties about how to take precautions during early voting for the state’s March 24 presidential primaries, which began last week. The guidance includes wiping down voting machines and providing hand sanitizer to voters as they enter and exit polling locations.
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An earlier version of this story has been corrected to show that the latest numbers from Georgia were released late Monday night, not late Sunday night.
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