White County using CODE RED system to provide COVID-19 information

White County Public Safety issued the following service announcement Thursday afternoon, April 2:

White County Emergency Management Agency will be using the CODE RED notification system on a periodic basis to provide information to its citizens about COVID-19. This evening from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., CODE RED will provide COVID-19 information to senior citizens. The system will notify seniors via telephone landlines, cell phones, text messages, e-mails, hearing impaired devices or the mobile application. The system will start in one area of the county and rotate to cover the whole county in the two-hour period.

Information to be shared will include times and locations dedicated to seniors to shop for groceries or pharmacy needs. Other information will include best practices for staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic including staying at home, washing your hands thoroughly and often and cleaning/disinfecting surfaces on a regular basis. Also included in the message will be contact information where seniors can get further information.

In addition to the CODE RED notifications that will be utilized in White County, there is a new source of information available to the general public. Apple Inc. – in partnership with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – released an app and website that guides Americans through a series of questions about their health and exposure to determine if they should seek care for COVID-19 symptoms. The tool provides CDC recommendations on next steps including guidance on social distancing and self-isolating, how to closely monitor symptoms, recommendations on testing, and when to contact a medical provider. (https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0327-statement-covid-19-apple-app.html)

Public information is also available on the White County website: www.whitecounty.net under the COVID-19 icon. Citizens can also get information from the Georgia statewide hotline at 1-844-442-2681.