Updated January 29, 2019

Giles County Public Schools are keeping the doors closed remainder of this week due to a large number of illness-related absences .

School Superintendent Phillip Wright said reports showed Monday that 14 percent of school absenteeism was due to sickness.

On Monday,  Bridgeforth Middle School had the highest with 81 out of 425 students absent; Giles County High School had 68 and Southside with 53.

The numbers increased as students were going home sick.

Wright said due to old school buildings it is very hard to ventilate every room.

Two walk-in clinics in Pulaski reported seeing over 160 students yesterday (Monday) and several today (Tuesday) for strep, flu-like symptoms and stomach viruses.

The decision by Wright to close schools the remainder of this week was made after talking with a nurse practitioner at one of the local clinics.

Flu can be contagious before someone starts to show symptoms  and then can be contagious for up to a week so closing schools can help contain the virus .