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White County’s seven-day moving average of confirmed COVID-19 case reports has reached a new high for the pandemic, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).
White County’s seven-day moving average of confirmed COVID-19 case reports has reached a new high for the pandemic, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH).
An Aug. 31 update from DPH showed the average at 34.6 cases, eclipsing the previous high of 30 cases on Jan. 14 this year set during a period of elevated infections in fall and winter. The average was at 24 cases per day on Aug. 24 after being as low as 1.9 on July 20.
The DPH update shows there were 676 confirmed cases reported in White County during August, up sharply from 89 confirmed case reports in July. The county’s top monthly case counts during the pandemic include 697 in December 2020. (DPH notes only positives from PCR tests are used to identify confirmed cases.)
DPH lists White County as having 3,785 confirmed cases diagnosed from PCR testing and 77 confirmed deaths attributed to COVID-19 during the pandemic. In addition, there have been 262 positives reported from antigen tests and 12 probable COVID-19 deaths, according to DPH.
Meanwhile, state public health reported that 9,435 of the county’s residents are now considered fully vaccinated, around 32% of the population, as of Aug. 31. A total of 10,797 people are listed as have received at least one vaccine does, about 37% of the population.
The report shows 43% of Georgians are considered fully vaccinated and 51% have received at least one dose.
Those wishing to get a vaccine are advised to check with the their local health department, healthcare provider or pharmacy. All Georgians age 12 and older are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy has recently said planning is also underway for community vaccination clinics, such as those previously done in conjunction with the White County Health Department, to begin some time after Labor Day.
The District 2 Public Health office announced Aug. 19 it would begin working with health departments to administer the additional vaccine dose to individuals with weakened immune systems. DPH advises people to talk to their healthcare provider about whether additional dose is appropriate for them, as health departments will require a signed doctor’s statement that includes the specific health condition a person is experiencing. Forms and more information is available at phdistrict2.org.
The additional dose has only been approved for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines at this time, but not for the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine.