Casino closing; 3 local tests negative for virus
Murphy -The coronavirus, or COVID-19, may have not reached Cherokee County yet, but the community is already feeling the effects of the disease.
On Monday, Harrah’s Cherokee Casinos announced it would close for two weeks starting at 6 a.m. today. Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River Casino & Hotel is the largest private employer in the county with about 1,000 associates. The company said it would give team members two weeks of pay, and benefits would not be interrupted.
Harrah’s stated that the decision to close was a “precautionary measure, to ensure the safety of our employees, guests and local communities.” The company also said guests who had reservations at the hotel during the next two weeks would receive an emailed notice of cancellation.
Schools are also closed, with students completing assignments from home. However, if they need internet access to complete or access their work, public libraries won’t be their answer.
On Sunday, the day after Gov. Roy Cooper closed schools across the state, Mayor Rick Ramsey announced that the Murphy Public Library would not open until further notice. Later that day, Franklin Shook, director of the Nantahala Regional Library, closed all the libraries in the system, including the Andrews Public Library.
“I was sad,” Cherokee County Schools Superintendent Jeana Conley said. “I’m always sad when libraries close.”
Ramsey said he decided to close the library because some of the employees, and many of the customers, are elderly. They considered keeping the library open only for students, but that would be difficult to enforce. Spacing computer workstations 6 feet apart would also be difficult.
“We just thought it was most important to close it at this point,” he said.
Conley said the school system is working on solutions to make sure every child, regardless of internet access, has access to an education.
Per the state mandate, students are not allowed to receive an education in school buildings, which prevents educators from allowing students to enter the building to access the internet. However, Conley said the district does have mobile hot spot boxes – and is looking at purchasing more – to provide internet access to children at their homes. Because the hot spots access Wi-Fi like cell phones, students who do not have cell service at their homes will not be able to use the hot spots.
Elementary teachers sent home paper packets with two weeks of work to do, while middle and high school students are completing work online on their school-issued Chromebooks. Ranger Elementary/Middle School sent home paper packets to all students because it did not have the resources for students to work on Chromebooks at home, Conley said. But by the end of the day Monday, Ranger Middle parents were being informed they could pick up a Chromebook for their child.
Teachers set up Google classrooms and other online resources, as well as setting up virtual office hours to assist with remote learning. Conley said families should call their student’s school if they need assistance with their child’s lessons. School media coordinators will be available to help with any technical issues.
Conley said she is concerned about the quality of education students will receive as a result of the statewide school closure. Schools use technology to supplement, not replace, traditional classroom learning.
“Nothing can replace a good teacher,” she said.
Conley said she was proud of her teachers for being flexible and doing what was needed of them during this time.
“They are champions,” she said.
Schools started preparations for distance and virtual learning last week. The district launched a program called At-home Curriculum Extension, or ACE, which should prevent the district from having to add make-up days to the calendar. Conley said teachers would continue to work on plans in case the closure is extended.
Schools are also making sure students continue to have food available during the closure. Starting Monday, meal pick up was available at six schools – Andrews Elementary, Peachtree Elementary, Martins Creek Elementary/Middle, Murphy Elementary, Hiwassee Dam and Ranger Elementary/Middle – for all school-age children in Cherokee County from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Conley said officials have also started using school buses to deliver meals to students. Buses will follow a three-hour delayed opening schedule and deliver food to students waiting at their bus stops between 9-11:30 a.m. Phone calls were sent out for each route.
Conley added that the food is already funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Cooper’s directive included asking schools to provide child care for families in need of it. Conley said local schools were partnering with faith-based organizations to help families as needed. She was happy to allow her teachers and staff, who are all getting paid by state through the closures, to assist with child care.
Conley asked families to remain patient as the schools implement plans to serve and continue educating the children of Cherokee County.
“We want the children to know we love them,” she said. “We will see them soon.”
Schools in Fannin, Towns and Union counties in north Georgia all decided to close at the recommendation of Gov. Brian Kemp last week.
Cooper closed schools statewide Saturday as part of an executive order that also banned gatherings of 100 people or more. Several events, programs and activities were canceled starting Thursday, when Cooper recommended gatherings of 100 people or more be canceled.
On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommended that gatherings of 50 people or more be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks. On Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump recommended that people avoid social gatherings of 10 or more people to slow the spread of the virus.
On March 10, Cooper declared a statewide state of emergency in response to five more people testing positive for COVID-19. Those five attended a Biogen conference in Boston last month; at least 40 cases across the country are linked to that conference.
As of Monday, there were 33 positive tests in the state, with the closest being in Watauga County. There was also a person in Macon County who tested positive in Buncombe County, but the individual is a New York state resident. In Georgia, the closest cases were in Cherokee and Gordon counties, while in Tennessee, the closest cases were in Hamilton, Knox and Sevier counties.
No one has tested positive in Cherokee County.
Cherokee County Health Department Director David Badger said they would not release information on how many people had been tested. However, at the Cherokee County Board of Education meeting Thursday night, Dr. Jeff Martin announced that three people had been tested, and all those tests all came back negative.
Martin added that there were only about 25 test kits in Cherokee County. However, Badger said there were at least 50 test kits available in the health department alone.
Badger said the state is constantly updating guidance on testing. Testing depends on the assessment made by a health-care provider, after other conditions have been ruled out, Badger said. Patients are asked to call ahead before visiting their health provider or emergency room, and inform them of their symptoms so providers can appropriately protect themselves and their waiting room.
Badger said locals should take a “common-sense approach” to the virus, noting there still isn’t community spread in the state.
“That’s a positive,” he said.
Badger said people should continue washing their hands, sanitizing surfaces and practicing social distancing. He added those at a higher risk should distance themselves more from others.
“Continue to stay calm and use common sense, but be aware,” he said.
There is a task force in Cherokee County meeting weekly to discuss the coronavirus and actions to take.
Both Ramsey and Andrews Mayor James Reid said they considered issuing states of emergency for their towns, but plan to follow the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners’ lead. Reid said his document was already typed up, as it would help free up funds.
“That would help families,” Reid said.
Ramsey said the state of emergency would give the police more leeway and eliminate the process involved in implementing actions, like a citywide curfew.
“We’re in some unchartered territory,” he said.
Ramsey said he talked with several restaurant owners Sunday, and they requested downtown parking spaces for take-out customers only. While he’s for that, Ramsey said it would be a challenge since under normal conditions parking is tight, and he doesn’t have the personnel to monitor the spaces.