Every week, the Times Free Press will publish five essential things to know about the coronavirus pandemic in the Chattanooga region. For more updated case count numbers and other data related to Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama, visit timesfreepress.com/virus. You can also text 5Things to 4234019454 to get this weekly article texted to you each week.
Five things to know about COVID-19 in the Chattanooga region for the week ending Nov. 6:
1. Deadline for school decision looms for Hamilton County families: Area parents have until Nov. 20 to decide whether their children will go virtual or back to the classroom this spring.
Why it matters: While there’s still much to learn about schools and COVID-19 transmission, so far data indicates that the risk of in-person K-12 schooling may be lower than some parents and educators initially feared. Research is finding that, in general, reopening schools has not significantly changed the trajectory of the pandemic. The vast majority of Hamilton County’s COVID-19 cases in school-aged children are linked to extracurricular activities or off-campus gatherings.
Read more about the upcoming decision and what the research says about the risk of COVID-19 for children.