More vaccine help arrives as COVID number decrease

The rate of new confirmed COVID-19 cases in White County has continued its recent decline as health officials continue to boost efforts to stop spread of the disease.

The seven-day moving average of confirmed cases for the county was at a rate of 8 cases per day according to a Sept. 28 update by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), down from 11.4 on Sept. 21. (The average reached a new high of 39.1 on Sept. 8.)

There have been 558 confirmed cases reported for the month through Sept. 28 for the county. (DPH notes only positives from PCR tests are used to identify confirmed cases.) The state public health update now shows 678 confirmed reports in the county for August, up from 89 confirmed case reports in July.

The county’s top monthly case count during the pandemic was 697 in December 2020.

DPH lists White County as having 4,345 confirmed cases diagnosed from PCR testing and 100 confirmed deaths attributed to COVID-19 during the pandemic. In addition, there have been 313 positives reported from antigen tests and 16 probable COVID-19 deaths, according to DPH.

Meanwhile, state public health reported that 10,402 of the county’s residents are now considered fully vaccinated, around 35% of the population, as of Sept. 28. A total of 11,650 people are listed as having received at least one vaccine dose, about 40% of the population.

DPH reports that 47% of Georgians are considered fully vaccinated and 54% have received at least one dose. 

All Georgians aged 12 and older are being urged to get vaccinated, wear a mask in public settings and wash their hands frequently. Those wishing to get a vaccine are advised to check with the their local health department, healthcare provider or pharmacy.

Mass vaccination site reopens

The Gainesville-based District 2 Public Health and Northeast Georgia Health System continue to cite getting fully vaccinated to stop the spread of COVID-19. On Sept. 27, District 2 reopened mass vaccination sites in most of its 13 counties, including White County.

The affected counties are administering all doses of the Pfizer vaccine and will have first dose Moderna and J&J vaccines available upon request. White County’s mass vaccination site will operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesdays at The Bridge Church in Cleveland (607 Hulsey Road). The White County Health Department will also be open for vaccination distribution this Saturday, Oct. 2, from 8 a.m. to noon.

Appointments are not required. If an individual prefers to schedule an appointment, they may do so using an online scheduling system at phdistrict2.org.

The White County Health Department remains open daily for both COVID-19 and flu vaccines. Check for hours by calling 706-865-2191.

Booster doses approved

DPH has been sharing a recent announcement that booster vaccine doses for the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine have been approved for specific groups of fully vaccinated individuals. Though the booster dose is not required, health officials say it will help fully vaccinated people maintain protection over the coming months. 

Booster vaccine doses are approved for the following groups of people who received their second Pfizer vaccine at least 6 months ago: Those 65 years and older; residents of long-term care facilities; those 18 and older with underlying medical conditions that put a person at high-risk; and those 18 and older who have an occupational or institutional exposure risk. (Recommendations will only apply to individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for their primary series)

Both Moderna and J&J are expected to submit data to the FDA in support of booster doses in the coming weeks. 

White County School System

The White County School System has announced a three-phase plan to ease COVID restrictions. The system had paused some activities due to the increase in cases. Superintendent Dr. Laurie Burkett told school board members on Sept. 28 that dates in the phases were flexible and could change depending on the number of cases.

Phase 1 will begin on Monday, Oct. 4, and with this phase in-person district level and school level meetings will resume. Previous lunchroom schedules and procedures, and use of water fountains and bottle fillers will also resume.

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, phase 2 will start, which will allow non-competitive after school events to resume.

Phase 3 will start on Monday, Nov. 1, and with this phase field trips and school gatherings will resume. Visitors will also be allowed back into the schools.