Atlanta schools delaying graduation ceremonies due to rise in COVID-19 cases
Atlanta Public Schools is postponing all graduation ceremonies. (Image by McElspeth from Pixabay)
ATLANTA - Atlanta Public Schools have postponed all previously-scheduled graduation ceremonies for the class of 2020 due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in the county and state.
Officials tell FOX 5 the decision was made to delay the graduation ceremonies, which had been scheduled for the week of July 20.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Georgia has reported over 100,000 cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic started with Fulton County reporting a total of 9,066 - the second-highest amount of any county in the state.
FULL COVERAGE: CORONAVIRUS IN GEORGIA
"In an abundance of caution, APS administrators decided against bringing graduates, their families, and District employees together for large, in-person events at this time," an APS spokesperson said.
Schools officials say they plan to reschedule graduations at a later point when the outlook on health in the city has seen improvement.
The announcement came the same day Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced plans to make masks mandatory throughout the city.
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