COVID-19 Archives

Georgia COVID public health state of emergency to end July 1

June 24, 2021 12:39 PM by Wendy Parker

Kemp executive order — *Gov. Brian Kemp giving one of several public briefings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.*

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp this week signed two executive orders that will bring the state’s COVID-19 public health state of emergency to a close at the end at June.

In the orders (you can read them here and here) Kemp simultaneously extended an order that was set to expire on Tuesday, until midnight next Thursday, July 1, and then declared the emergency over beyond that point.

It’s the last of 16 extensions of the Empowering A Healthy Georgia Act approved by the Georgia legislature during a special session in March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The law gave the governor additional powers during the pandemic, including business, school and other closures, as well as efforts to protect vulnerable populations, restrict public gatherings and travel, and to mobilize for vaccinations.

“I appreciate the General Assembly granting my office this authority in order to swiftly and appropriately respond to the coronavirus pandemic,” Kemp said in a statement issued by his office Tuesday. “We worked together—along with the Department of Public Health, dozens of state agencies, local leaders, private sector partners, and countless others—to protect both lives and livelihoods.

“Thanks to those efforts, more Georgians are getting vaccinated, our economic momentum is strong, and people are getting back to normal. We have emerged resilient, and I thank all Georgians for doing their part.”

Kemp’s office said there will be one final executive order coming next week, to continue providing aid for “the state and Georgia job creators as they fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which will include the suspension of various state rules and regulations.”

The end of the public health emergency comes as COVID case, hospitalization and death rates are at their lowest since the pandemic began.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the level of community spread of the virus is almost non-existent.

Over the last two weeks, the cases per 100,000 people has averaged 36 (100 is considered “high” community spread), and fewer than 4,000 cases have been reported across the state.

The 7-day moving average of both PCR and antigen tests is 260 statewide, as of June 10.

In Cobb County, the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 people is 32, with 251 new cases reported in that time. The 7-day moving averages of cases as of June 10 was 19.7.

Since the pandemic began, there have been 901,723 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, and 18,426 deaths.

There have been 62,073 cases and 1,008 confirmed deaths in Cobb County since March 2020.

Georgia continues to lag in vaccination rates, compared to other states.

The state DPH vaccine dashboard shows that 42 percent of all eligible Georgians (ages 12 and older) have received at least the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and that 37 percent are “fully vaccinated” with second doses of those vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

In Cobb County, 50 percent of eligible residents have received at least one dose, and 44 percent are “fully vaccinated.”

Cobb and Douglas Public Health wound down vaccination distribution efforts at Jim Miller Park last week, but continues to offer free vaccines around the county at various locations for an indefinite time.

COVID-19 vaccinations to end at Jim Miller Park on June 19

June 8, 2021 3:42 PM by Wendy Parker

Jim Miller Park COVID vaccine appointments — *Cobb and Douglas Health has been administering COVID-19 vaccines at Jim Miller Park since January.*

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is winding down its free COVID-19 vaccination site at Jim Miller Park soon, but will continue providing innoculations to the public at various locations indefinitely.

Assistant director Lisa Crossman told the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday that the last day for vaccinations at Jim Miller Park (2245 Callaway Road, Marietta) will be June 19.

Vaccinations are provided there six days a week and members of the public can make an appointment or walk up.

“That doesn’t mean we’re done vaccinating,” she said.

Information on getting vaccination at Jim Miller Park and satellite locations can be found here, along with other details getting a COVID-19 vaccine through Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

A number of “pop up” vaccine locations that have also been in use will continue for the time being.

“We’ll do it until we don’t see a need,” Crossman said.

There’s not a specific location in East Cobb scheduled for this week; the closest spot it the Dwell@750 apartments (750 Franklin Gateway), from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.

We noted over the weekend that Cobb’s transmission rate of the virus had fallen below what’s called “high community spread”—a 14-day average under 100 cases per 100,000 people.

She also said the COVID-19 test positivity rate is at its lowest in many months, 1.9 percent. Public health officials say anything less than 5 percent is good, and while the numbers across the board in Cobb “are headed in the right direction” she urged the public not to let its guard down.

Cobb’s rate of “fully vaccinated people”—those having received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine—is 37 percent, and more than 43 percent have had one dose.

Those numbers are slightly higher than Georgia’s overall figures, but are below the national average.

President Joe Biden has set a 70 percent vaccination goal for the country by July 4. Crossman said while it’s doubtful Cobb will reach that target, “we’re going to give it our best shot.”

She said the vaccinations are available to anyone 12 years of age or older, and encouraged parents sending their children to summer camps to get vaccinated.

Crossman also said businesses with 25 or more employees can have Cobb and Douglas Public Health come to their workplaces and provide vaccinations and said the scheduling is flexible, and can be done in the early evenings and on the weekends

Cobb County issues COVID scam alert for federal relief funds

June 8, 2021 2:39 PMJune 8, 2021 9:21 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

Scam artists are always looking to take advantage of a situation to steal from you. They’ve been using the COVID-19 pandemic and federal relief monies as tools to gain personal information from unsuspecting victims.

If you receive an email about pandemic relief, no matter how “official-looking,” REMEMBER:

Cobb County will not reach out to you directly about receiving federal assistance money.

Do NOT give out personal ID information to any of these sites.

All official assistance information can be found at www.cobbcounty.org/ERA

Any questions or concerns? Call us at 770-528-1000 or email us at information@cobbcounty.org

FOR MORE on these “phishing” emails, check out these sites:

https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/Securities/coronavirus_scams

https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/phishing

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/…/want-get-your…

More COVID-related information from Cobb County government can be found by clicking here.

Cobb COVID cases continue fall below ‘high community spread’

June 5, 2021 3:04 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID community spread — *Source: Cobb GIS. For more Cobb COVID graphics and data, **click here**.*

In recent weeks the community spread of COVID-19 in Cobb County has dropped well below a key barometer.

What public health officials call “high community spread” is a 14-day average of 100 confirmed cases per 100,000 people.

Cobb figures haven’t been below that threshold since late last summer, but as case rates plummet that line was crossed in mid-May (as indicated in dotted yellow line above). The Cobb GIS office compiled that data, and you can see more by clicking here.

At the end of last month, that number was 52. As of Friday, the 14-day average in Cobb was 39, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, which posts a daily status report.

Similar trends are taking place across Georgia and the United States, as mask mandates and other restrictions are being lifted.

The drop in case rates from the start of the year was just as precipitous as its climb at the start of winter. The 14-day high of 980 was on Jan. 3, right as vaccines were being rolled out.

By the start of February, the 14-day average had dropped nearly in half, and by a similar rate by the end of the month, when that metric was 264.

Earlier this week, the Cobb County School District announced that masks will be optional for students and staff for summer school and the 2021-22 school year.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, there have been more than 61,000 confirmed cases in Cobb County, and 994 confirmed deaths, according to Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

In Georgia, there have been 897,240 cases during that time, and 18,144 deaths. Cobb’s death total is the third-highest in the state, behind Fulton (1,324) and Gwinnett (1,108).

The Cobb GIS update includes COVID-related hospitalization figures that also have fallen dramatically in recent months, from 1,139 in December to under 200 each in the months of March, April and May.

Vaccination rates in Cobb and Georgia continue to lag other states, but have been climbing steadily.

According to the Georgia DPH vaccination dashboard, 37 percent of Cobb citizens (275,884) are “fully vaccinated,” or have been given both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Another 326,617 Cobb residents have received the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, representing 43 percent of the county population.

Across the state 41 percent of Georgians have received at least one dose and 34 percent are considered fully vaccinated.

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, is scheduled to provide her latest COVID-19 briefing to the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

Cobb County COVID-19 update: ‘We are on the right track’

May 15, 2021 3:49 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID update — *Combined PCR and Antigen cases for Cobb County. Source: Georgia Department of Public Health. For more information **click here**.*

The day after the Centers for Disease Control offered major guidance for vaccinated people, the head of Cobb and Douglas Public Health issued encouraging words about local COVID-19 metrics.

In her weekly message on Friday, Dr. Janet Memark said trends over the last two weeks “have been the most optimistic that we’ve had in a long while.”

While case numbers in Cobb are still in what’s called “high transmission”—a 14-day average of 100 cases or less per 100,000 people, for both PCR and Antigen tests combined—”they are heading in the right direction. We also see percentage positive rates that are also very promising. Hospitalizations also remain at lower levels and do not seem to be trending upwards at this time.”

As of Saturday, that number in Cobb has was 139, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, which publishes a daily status report.

Another key indicator she mentioned is the test positivity rate, and earlier this week Memark told the Cobb Board of Commissioners that number has fallen to around 3 percent, well below the 5 percent threshold that concerns public health officials.

She also said 31 percent of Cobb County residents—by total population— are “fully vaccinated,” meaning they have received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

“We continue to be under the national statistics and need to keep going with vaccinations to ensure that this pandemic remains controlled,” she said, adding that “We are on the right track.”

On Thursday, the CDC guidance said that “fully vaccinated” people do not have to wear masks indoors, and the Cobb County School District quickly dropped its mandate.

Those developments came as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer vaccine for ages 12-15. Georgians 16 and older have been eligible for vaccinations, and Memark said Friday that “we urge all citizens 12 years and older to get vaccinated as soon as possible.”

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is administering the Pfizer vaccine at Jim Miller Park (2245 Callaway Road) at the following times:

Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. (Walk-ups accepted until 2:00 p.m.)
Saturday: 9:00 a.m. – Noon (Walk-ups accepted until 11:00 a.m.)

You can set up an appointment by clicking here or search for other vaccine locations by clicking here.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is also continuing to provide free COVID-19 testing; details can be found here.

As of Saturday, there have been 78,824 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cobb County since the pandemic began in March 2020, and 1,057 confirmed and probable deaths.

Cobb and Douglas Public health noted this week that people 70 and older represent 8 percent of Cobb’s overall population but they account for 72 percent of the deaths. Those 80 and older comprise 42 percent of all the deaths in Cobb.

Health director: 21 percent of Cobb citizens fully vaccinated

April 27, 2021 5:15 PM by Wendy Parker

The director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health said Tuesday that 21 percent of Cobb’s citizens have been fully vaccinated against COVID1-19 as metrics tracking the spread of the virus continue to be encouraging.

In her weekly update, Dr. Janet Memark said that the 14-day average of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cobb County is 242 cases per 100,000, “the lowest we have seen in a while.”

That figure is the combined PCR and Antigen tests. A two-week average of 100 cases per 100,000 people is considered high community spread.

Cobb’s current 7-day moving average of COVID-19 cases is 116.9, according to date of onset data, nearly as low as figures from last fall.

Memark said that the current test positivity rate of 4.2 percent in Cobb County is “reassuring” and that “we have averted a surge” from recent spring breaks.

“Please don’t take this as a reason to abandon all defenses,” said Memark, who regularly updates the Cobb Board of Commissioners. “We are still in HIGH transmission, we have variants that have taken over, and we have not reached herd immunity. It is easy to think this is all over, but India’s humanitarian crisis is an example of what can happen if we stop prevention too soon.”

Cobb’s 21 percent vaccination rate is in line with a statewide figure of 23 percent, and Memark said that “we need to get these numbers up higher to return back to some normalcy.”

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s vaccine dashboard, a total of 351,634 vaccines have been administered in Cobb County, or 46,808 per 100,000. A total of 197,803 residents have received at least one dose (26 percent), and 156,592 are “fully vaccinated” (21 percent).

Cobb and Douglas Public Health operates a free mass vaccination site at Jim Miller Park in Marietta for the Pfizer vaccine, and is accepting walk-ups. You can get more information and set up an appointment by clicking here.

On Saturday, the Atlanta Braves will be holding a free mass vaccination event (up to 5,000) at Truist Park for first doses, with the second dose slated for May 26. That’s also the Pfizer vaccine, and you must book a reservation by clicking here.

Other requirements for the Truist Park vaccination events were sent out earlier Tuesday by Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt:

Open to all individuals 16 years of age and older; individuals under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent/legal guardian
Masks are required
A photo I.D. is required
Parking will be in the Delta Deck, you will be directed into the stadium.
Second dose appointments will be scheduled during the first dose appointment – other dates/locations will be available if you are unable to make the Wednesday date at Truist Park

Cobb COVID-19 deaths near 1,000; more than 200 in East Cobb

April 16, 2021 5:58 PMApril 16, 2021 5:09 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID deaths near 1,000 — *For more Cobb COVID data, **click here**: Source: Cobb and Douglas Public Health*

As of Friday afternoon there have been 940 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in Cobb County since the pandemic began in March 2020, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, which also has listed 77 probable deaths in its latest daily status report.

As has been the case for most of the pandemic, the COVID-19 deaths have largely occurred in older people. Cobb and Douglas Public Health’s latest data shows that 42.2 percent of the deaths have been people 80 and older; 304. percent are between ages 70-79; and 14.5 percent are between 60-69.

There have been 217 COVID-19 deaths in East Cobb ZIP Codes, according to the latest CDPH data, but that’s not broken down by age:

30066: 4,316 cases; 57 deaths
30062: 4,535 cases; 56 deaths
30068: 2,489 cases; 64 deaths
30067: 3,643 cases; 36 deaths
Totals: 15,580 cases; 217 deaths

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said in an updated message on Friday that while case rates are going down in the county, the public must continue to be vigilant.

Georgia DPH data as of Friday indicated that the 14-day average of PCR tests per 100,000 people in Cobb is at 126, close to the definition of “high community spread” threshold of 100 cases per 100,000.

But as school students in Cobb returned to classes this week, she said there figures to be a bump in those and similar metrics.

The British variant B.1.1.7. makes up about 45 percent of Cobb’s cases, a doubling from the last couple of weeks, she said.

That variant, one of three that’s been discovered in Cobb, is more transmissable, and is affecting younger age groups (30-50 in Michigan, where there’s another COVID-19 wave taking place).

“It may not be as deadly,” she said, perhaps because it’s not significantly affecting older people, one of the primary groups to be vaccinated.

“We’re not done yet,” Memark said. “If you are not vaccinated, you are still at risk. We still cannot gather with large groups of people yet. You cannot be risking high-risk folks that can’t get vaccinated.

“We’ve got to keep wearing our masks when we go out in public because not everybody’s vaccinated.”

She said 17 percent of Cobb’s more than 760,000 residents have been fully vaccinated, meaning that 83 percent have not. To reach herd immunity, Memark said, “that number’s got to flip.”

Georgia DPH suspending Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines

April 13, 2021 12:04 PMApril 13, 2021 9:53 AM by Wendy Parker

The Georgia Department of Public Health on Tuesday announced that it is temporarily stopping the administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. Georgia DPH, Cobb County Coronavirus case

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control have urged a halt after blood clot side effects were reported in six known cases. Johnson & Johnson has distributed more than 7 million doses of the single-dose vaccine.

The FDA-CDC statement said all six cases of blood clotting occurred among women between the ages of 18 and 48, and symptoms occurred 6 to 13 days after vaccination.

Johnson & Johnson is one of three COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers, and has more than 330,000 doses that have been allocated Georgia, according to the DPH vaccine dashboard.

More than 3 million Pfizer vaccines have been distributed in the state, along with more than 2.8 million of the Moderna vaccines.

In Cobb County, nearly 300,000 vaccine doses have been administered, with more than 116,000 residents, or 16 percent, fully vaccinated, according to Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark.

She told the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday that “I am grateful that they are looking at the safety of this as we go along. . . . This is very rare right now.”

Cobb COVID-19 vaccine call center opens Monday

April 10, 2021 9:20 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

Submitted information about the Cobb County Government COVID-19 vaccine call center, which opens on Monday:

Cobb County’s call center will help residents get information about COVID-19 and the vaccines and assist them in making vaccination appointments.

“Our call center will enable us to better serve Cobb residents by helping people who have had questions about or issues with scheduling vaccines,” Cobb Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said. “Hopefully this effort will help more people get vaccinated and help Cobb County get back to pre-pandemic life as fast as possible.”

To speak with an operator, residents can call 833-974-3366 on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The call center will answer general questions about COVID-19 and the vaccines and connect people with sites and facilities offering vaccinations. Agents can help callers schedule appointments through Cobb and Douglas Public Health sites and walk them through the process of scheduling appointments at GEMA mass vaccination sites, as well as private locations offering the shots. English and Spanish-speaking agents are available, with language line services available for those who speak other languages.

Residents can also use a chat feature to speak with an agent on their computers, tablets or smartphones. The chat feature is available weekdays between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. through both cobbcounty.org/COVID19 and at cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com.

“Cobb and Douglas Public Health is so thankful to Cobb County Government for launching this call center during the pandemic,” District Health Director Dr. Janet Memark said. “We appreciate the partnership and will continue to provide the support needed for its success. It gives our residents an expanded local resource for COVID-related questions and allows public health staff to stay focused on providing vaccinations and resolving outbreaks.”

Funding for the call center comes from the federal CARES allocation sent to Cobb County in 2020.

Kemp eases more COVID restrictions; opposes vaccine passports

April 9, 2021 3:50 PM by Wendy Parker

Kemp eases COVID restrictions — *Cobb’s COVID cases by date of onset is nearing last fall’s figures. Source: Georgia DPH. For more **click here**.*

As COVID-19 metrics continue to drop and more vaccines are being made available to Georgians, Gov. Brian Kemp this week took two more major steps in the state’s recovery from the pandemic.

In an extension of a 13-month executive order first issued at the start of the pandemic, Kemp announced that he is eliminating a ban on large gatherings that’s been in place since March 2020.

His new order (you can read it here) also eliminates any remaining shelter-in-place requirements and ends remaining distance mandates, such as dining parties at restaurants and bars, movie theaters and between patrons in group fitness classes.

The order also eliminates the ability of law enforcement to close organizations for failing to comply with provisions of the order.

New confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia have fallen to levels from last fall, according to onset date figures. As of March 25, the seven-day moving average was 1,234 cases across the state.

In Cobb County (as seen in the graphic at the top) that figure is 119.9 cases in a seven-day moving average.

That’s both for PCR and Antigen tests combined, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health daily status report.

Community spread figures also continue to drop, with Cobb having a 14-day average of 144 cases per 100,000 for the PCR tests.

Public health officials say “high” community spread is anything more than 100 cases per 100,000.

It’s been since mid-February when we last updated Cobb COVID numbers, which then had counted 814 deaths and 54,441 cases.

As of Friday, there have been 921 deaths and 58,872 confirmed cases in Cobb since the pandemic began in March 2020, according to Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

The agency is continuing to roll out vaccine distribution, and is booking appointments for next week at Jim Miller Park in Marietta and Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville.

More than 4.5 million vaccine doses have been administered in Georgia since January, according to the DPH vaccine dashboard, including nearly 288,000 in Cobb County.

That’s both via Cobb and Douglas Public Health and private providers, including physicians and pharmacies.

Kemp also this week joined a handful of governors in saying he does not support a government-issued “vaccine passport” for citizens to show proof that they’ve been immunized.

He said in a Tweet that “while the development of multiple safe, highly effective COVID-19 vaccines has been a scientific miracle, the decision to receive the vaccine should be left up to each individual.”

Cobb COVID-19 rental assistance applications open Thursday

March 29, 2021 3:21 PMMarch 29, 2021 9:17 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

To help explain Cobb’s latest $22.8 million COVID-19 rent/utility assistance effort and the end of the eviction moratorium, we held a virtual town hall this week. Guest speakers included Chief Magistrate Judge Brendan Murphy explaining the eviction process, Sheriff Craig Owens sharing his office’s response and representatives from five nonprofits explaining the new rent/utility assistance program. Residents also had their submitted questions answered.

These emergency federal rental assistance grants are designed to help those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic stay in their homes while struggling to recover. Assistance can be provided for rent, rental arrears, utilities and home energy costs, utilities and home energy costs arrears and other expenses related to housing.

To watch this informative town hall in its entirety, click here.

Applications will open on April 1. Please do not contact providers to apply until then. We are compiling and updating information on the Emergency Rental Assistance program at cobbcounty.org/era.

Cobb schools report 147 new confirmed COVID-19 cases

March 26, 2021 3:29 PM by Wendy Parker

This week’s COVID-19 case count in the Cobb County School District is a slight drop from the week of March 19, as the rate of new infections continues to fall.

The district announced in its weekly update on Friday that there were 147 new confirmed cases, nine fewer than a week ago.

It’s the fourth straight week the case totals have been less than 200. The district does not break down the numbers for students and staff.

The district lists the number of active cases by school as well as cumulative totals since July 1, 2020.

Overall, there have been 4,501 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Cobb school district since that date.

This week there were fewer than 10 cases reported at schools with new active cases. They include the following at East Cobb schools:

Bells Ferry ES: 1
East Side ES: 1
Eastvalley ES: 1
Keheley ES: 1
Mt. Bethel ES: 6
Murdock ES: 1
Powers Ferry ES: 2
Sope Creek ES: 2
Timber Ridge ES: 1
Tritt ES: 1
Dickerson MS: 3
Dodgen MS: 1
East Cobb MS: 1
Hightower Trail MS: 1
McCleskey MS: 1
Lassiter HS: 1
Pope HS: 4
Walton HS: 5

In the nearly nine months the district has been compiling COVID data, Walton has the most cumulative cases with 130. Pope has 104, Lassiter 102 and Kell 101.

Dickerson has the most overall cases at the middle school level with 74, and McCleskey has 68.

All Georgia adults eligible for COVID-19 vaccine on Thursday

March 23, 2021 7:48 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia COVID vaccine eligible — *To read the latest Cobb and Douglas Public Health COVID briefing, **click here**.*

Starting on Thursday all Georgians ages 16 years and older will be eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines through the state Department of Public Health.

Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Wednesday.

More than 3.2 million vaccines have been distributed in Georgia since January, including more than 182,000 in Cobb County.

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said Tuesday that some vaccine appointments will be opened on Wednesday at her agency’s website for those in the current eligible groups, including people 55 and over, health care workers and first responders.

In a briefing to the Cobb Board of Commissioners, Memark said vaccine supplies would be coming to the state by the end of the week, and urged adults to get vaccinated.

“If we had flu vaccines that are this good, that would be awesome,” she said, mentioning the hesitancy of some people to get the vaccine.

She said even if people aren’t feeling symptoms, getting vaccinated can help slow the spread of asymptomatic transmission.

“This is what’s getting us to herd immunity,” Memark said. “We all have to do this together as a community to make this work.

Citizens do not have to get vaccinated in their county of residents. Memark said Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta has become an increasingly popular place to get vaccinated (you can book an appointment online here), and has been administering more than 6,000 tests daily.

She said the Georgia Department of Public Health website contains information on “super sites” controlled by the Georgia Emergency Management Association.

While Cobb’s COVID-19 metrics continue to fall, she said the rate of community spread remains high. The current 14-day average of 244 cases per 100,000 people is the lowest it’s been since the fall, but 100 cases per 100,000 is considered high community spread.

Cobb has had more than 72,000 cases since March 2021 and 891 confirmed deaths.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is continuing to provide free COVID testing at various locations in the county, including Eastwood Baptist Church (1150 Allgood Road). More dates, times, location and sign-up information can be found here.

COVID update: Cobb schools report 132 confirmed new cases

March 12, 2021 6:25 PM by Wendy Parker

*Cobb COVID cases by date of onset. To view more data, **click here**.*

The Cobb County School District said Friday there were 132 confirmed new cases of COVID-19, a little higher than last week but still reflecting a steep decline in recent weeks.

The district’s weekly update showed a total of 4,132 cumulative cases since last July 1. Last week’s 106 cases among students and staff were the fewest since November.

For the second week in a row all schools reporting cases had 10 or less. The most this week were 8 each at Wheeler High School and Still Elementary School.

Of the 11 schools in the district, 51 did not report any new cases this week.

The district’s data does not break down numbers of cases between students and staff, nor does it indicate how many other people may be out due to quarantine for possible exposure to the virus.

The falling numbers in the Cobb school district are in line with similar trends in Cobb County and much of Georgia.

There were 120 new cases reported in Cobb Friday in the date of report category, with a 7-day rolling average of 81.1. That’s the lowest since late October.

In the date of onset category (in the chart above), Cobb’s 7-day moving average as of Feb. 26—the last day before a current 14-day window—was 98.6 cases, the lowest that figure has been since late October.

Cobb’s community spread metric also is dropping close to what it had been in the late fall, after last summer’s surge and before a winter surge.

As of Friday, the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 in Cobb was 179 for PCR tests, the first time it’s been under 200 since October.

Combined with Antigen tests, Cobb’s overall community spread is now in the 300-350 range, according to Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

In a message sent out Friday, she said that “we continue to have a growing problem with the UK and the South African variants in Georgia. If these variants take hold before we have enough people vaccinated, we may suffer another tremendous surge and more loss of life. Continued preventive measures like wearing masks, physical distancing and washing hands still need to be taken during this time.”

She also referenced remarks made by President Joe Biden of having a goal of Americans returning to “normalcy” by July 4.

“How beautifully fitting would it be for our country to celebrate its independence in this way? To meet that goal, we all need to work together,” Memark said. “Please get vaccinated with whatever vaccine that you can and protect each other by not gathering without masks or socially distancing if you aren’t vaccinated. We look forward to the day when we can all be together again.”

EAST COBBER Parade and Festival cancelled for 2021

March 12, 2021 5:10 PMMarch 12, 2021 1:42 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobber parade cancelled — *The annual East Cobber parade and festival features dozens of community participants.*

For the second year in a row, the EAST COBBER Parade and Festival has been cancelled due to COVID-19 issues.

Publisher Cynthia Rozzo said in a message in the current March-April issue of the magazine that public health compliance concerns prompted the cancellation of the event, which had been slated for Sept. 18.

Although initially hopeful due to the arrival of vaccines, she said that “under current CDC guidelines for community events and large gatherings we could not figure out how to keep participants and guests safe.”

The logistics include several months of planning and involve many community groups and organizations. “Those planning steps have been hampered by the outbreak and the uncertainty about it,” Rozzo said.

This was to have been the 25th anniversary of the parade, which travels down Johnson Ferry Road from Mt. Bethel Elementary School to Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, where a community festival follows.

Rozzo started the free community magazine in 1993, publishing 11 times a year. But after the COVID-related business closings last year, she has reduced publication of the EAST COBBER, which is mailed to more than 22,000 subscribers, to six times a year.

Georgia COVID-19 vaccine eligibility expanding to 55+, others

March 11, 2021 3:57 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia COVID vaccine eligibility expanding — *To look through the Georgia DPH vaccine dashboard, **click here**.*

Georgians aged 55 and older and those with certain health issues will be able to sign up to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting Monday.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced the expansion on Wednesday, citing figures showing that 92 percent of Georgians who’ve died from the virus have met those thresholds.

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities also will be eligible for the vaccine, although the Pfizer vaccine is the only one that’s been approved for them.

Parents of children with complex medical conditions who are at high-risk for COVID-19 also can sign up to receive the vaccine.

Those with the following medical conditions and who are over the age of 16 also will become eligible on Monday:

Asthma
Cancer
Cerebrovascular Disease
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Cystic Fibrosis
Diabetes
Hypertension
Heart Conditions
Immunocompromised State
Liver Disease
Neurologic Conditions
Overweight and Obesity
Pregnancy
Pulmonary Fibrosis
Sickle Cell Disease
Thalassemia

Cobb and Douglas Public Health has set up an online booking appointment link for those and the others who’ve already been eligible for the vaccine: Health care workers, first responders, people age 65 and older and school teachers and staff.

You’ll be asked to fill out a questionnaire, as others in higher tiers have had to do. Appointments are necessary to receive a vaccine.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health vaccine dashboard, more than 2.5 million vaccines have been administered in the state, 1.5 million of them first doses.

In Cobb County, there have been more than 150,000 vaccines distributed, with 87,000 of those being first doses.

Georgia DPH also has a COVID vaccine locator list of private providers, including grocery stores and pharmacies.

Citizens do not have to get a vaccine in their county of residence but they must be a Georgia resident.

Cobb commissioners approve $2M for COVID vaccine call center

March 9, 2021 7:13 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb health director COVID vaccines — *Dr. Janet Memark of Cobb and Douglas Public Health said that while COVID transmission rates are falling, they’re “still extremely high.”*

The Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday voted to spend $2M in federal CARES Act funding to create a COVID-19 vaccination call center.

The center will provide updated information to the public about COVID-19 guidance and will allow citizens to schedule vaccine appointments.

The only commissioner to vote against in a 4-1 vote was Keli Gambrill of North Cobb, who said she hasn’t seen sufficient data showing that the call center software is effective.

JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb, who recently received her second dose of the vaccine, said “we’re still getting a lot of calls and e-mails” about how to get vaccines from the public that are being left with a variety of county agencies.

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid noted that the most vulnerable to COVID-19 are older people who are “less likely to be familiar with technology and most frustrated” at having to go online for information and to book appointments.

“We have some responsibility to make sure our vaccinations are accessible in Cobb,” Cupid said. “There are some things we need to get in front of.”

Cobb and Douglas Public Health launched a website in January as the vaccine rollout began, but it crashed initially and citizens expressed frustrations booking online or not having technology access to do so.

Dr. Janet Memark, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, told commissioners that having a call center is an important step as vaccine eligibility expands, and as variants of the virus are still in the community.

During an earlier briefing, she said that more than 143,000 doses of the vaccines have been administered in Cobb. There have been more then 170 cases of a British variant, the B.1.1.7, but said that’s likely a “huge undercount” due to limited testing.

Another COVID-19 variant that originated in South Africa also has been detected in Georgia, and she said there are three confirmed cases in the state.

Cobb’s COVID transmission rate continues a major decline, with a 14-day average of 356 cases per 100,000 for PCR and Antigen tests combined.

The PCR community spread metric is 197, the lowest it’s been since the fall. But since 100 cases per 100,000 is considered “high community spread,” the current numbers are “still extremely high.”

Memark and Lisa Crossman, the deputy director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said they were encouraged by CDC guidelines issued Monday for fully vaccinated people visiting safely with others.

They include relaxing mask-wearing and social-distancing habits in some instances.

“We see a light at the end of the tunnel,” Crossman said, adding that when she read through the guidelines it “almost brought tears of joys to my eyes.

“This gives a lot of hope to our seniors who’ve been isolated for the last year.”

Cobb has 873 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 56,276 cases since last March. The 7-day moving average is 152 new cases as of Tuesday (compared to 526 on Jan. 13, a single-day high).

Crossman still urged citizens to continue to wear masks and socially-distance in public, and when people become eligible for the vaccine, to sign up.

“Whatever brand of vaccine you have access to, please get it,” Crossman said.

Limited COVID vaccine appointments open at Jim Miller Park

March 1, 2021 3:14 PM by Wendy Parker

Jim Miller Park COVID vaccine appointments

Cobb and Douglas Public Health said Monday it has limited appointments available for COVID-19 vaccines for people age 65 and selected other groups.

Those include elderly caregivers, health care workers and first responders.

They’re in the Tier 1A+, the highest priority, and they must book an appointment online and show validation that they’re in an eligible group before getting a vaccination.

In Cobb, the vaccination site is at Jim Miller Park, and in Douglas County, it’s at Arbor Place Mall.

The agency hasn’t been booking new appointments for the last three weeks due to limited vaccine supplies, and had been vaccinating those who previously had made appointments.

Georgia residents who are eligible can go to any state public health vaccination site in the state, and search for other private providers (such as grocery stores and pharmacies) by clicking here.

The Georgia Department of Public Health recently launched a vaccine dashboard that shows how many people are getting vaccinated and other related data; it is updated daily at 3 p.m.

Thus far nearly 130,000 vaccinations have been administered in Cobb County, with most of those first doses.

More than 2 million vaccinations have been administered statewide, and last week Gov. Brian Kemp announced plans to add teachers and school staff to the eligible list.

Cobb COVID deaths surpass 800; East Cobb’s total nears 200

February 21, 2021 1:50 PMFebruary 20, 2021 3:13 PM by Wendy Parker

While the case and hospitalization rates for COVID-19 in Cobb County continue to drop, the number of deaths attributed to the virus continues to lag behind those metrics.

The death toll in Cobb County as of Saturday afternoon was 814, the third-highest in Georgia behind Fulton County, which has 1,022 deaths, and Gwinnett, with 864.

Since the middle of January, there have been six separate days in which double-digit death totals were reported in Cobb County, according to the “date of report” category.

Those include Wednesday and Friday, when 12 new deaths were confirmed each day.

According to the “date of death” category, those figures also have been higher in recent weeks—including 10 deaths on Jan. 26, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health—are starting to come down.

That category is subject to a 14-day window in which statistics are likely to be updated.

Thus far in February, there have been 52 deaths in Cobb County. In January, there were 154 deaths, the most for any month since COVID-19 data began to be compiled in March 2020.

The newest figures come as state of Georgia COVID figures have reached milestones. As of Saturday there have been 803,349 cases and 14,629 deaths.

Cobb’s case total stands at 54,441. But those case rates have been coming down substantially in February, according to Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

Community spread figures that shot up to a 14-day average of more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people also have fallen rapidly in Cobb, to October levels when the Cobb County School District resumed in-person classes.

The spread figure now is at 282 cases per 100,000. A “high” figure is 100 per 100,000.

In East Cobb, there have been 14,046 COVID-19 cases since last March, and 187 deaths, according to data compiled by Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

Those figures break down as follows via ZIP Codes:

30062: 4,070 cases, 46 deaths;
30066: 3,874 cases, 51 deaths;
30067: 3,334 cases, 32 deaths;
30068: 2,223 cases, 55 deaths;
30075: 536 cases, 3 deaths.

Among the deaths in East Cobb are 31 residents of long-term care facilities, according to Georgia Department of Community Health figures.

While the countywide case and death figures are broken down by age, sex and race, the ZIP Code figures are not.

In Cobb, more than 87 percent of the fatalities are people ages 60 and older. Only 45 are ages 49 and under.

Those ratios have been fairly consistent over the last 11 months.

Cobb COVID deaths surpass 800

Jim Miller Park COVID-19 vaccines cancelled due to shortages

February 19, 2021 4:59 PM by Wendy Parker

Jim Miller Park COVID vaccine appointments

Cobb and Douglas Public Health on Friday cancelled all scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointments at Jim Miller Park for Saturday and Monday because of more supply shortages.

Crippling winter weather elsewhere has interrupted the supply chain of vaccine shipments, according to the agency, which indicated it was already running out of vaccine doses on hand before the week was out.

“Please be assured that you will be first in line for vaccination appointments next week when we receive vaccine. We will communicate by email, text or phone to reschedule,” the Cobb and Douglas Public Health message states.

For the last three weeks Cobb and Douglas Public Health has not been accepting new appointments for its drive-up venues at Jim Miller Park and Arbor Place Mall in Douglasville.

In Cobb, only a few hundred vaccine doses were available to distribute per day.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health Director Dr. Janet Memark has said that sufficient vaccine supplies may not be available until March or April.

Until then, only people with previously booked appointments will be able to get vaccines.

She’s scheduled to brief the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday night with more updated information.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is resuming COVID-19 testing at Jim Miller Park starting Monday. You must pre-register online by clicking here. The test is free (your insurance will be billed), and once you sign up, you can come by at your convenience from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Friday.

If you don’t have access to a computer, smartphone, or internet, you can call 844-625-6522, then press 1 and ask for registration help.

Those individuals eligible in the A+1 category to receive vaccines have been struggling to find any place to book an appointment.

The state of Georgia gets close to 200,000 vaccine doses a week from the federal government, but it’s not coming close to filling the demand.

The Georgia Department of Public Health recently unveiled a new vaccine dashboard that shows that more than 1.6 million vaccines have been administered in the state. Of that total, 1.1 million are first doses.

In Cobb County, more than 110,00 vaccine doses have been administered, with 71,000 of those being first doses. An average of just under 15,000 vaccines a week have been given per 100,000 people in Cobb, according to the dashboard.

Those figures include vaccines provided by public health agencies as well as private providers, including physicians and at pharmacies.

Georgia DPH has created a vaccine locator service indicating where vaccine supplies are available.

However, many of those locations say they are out of vaccines, or all available appointments have been booked.

Like other states, Georgia is working to secure more supplies of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines that became available in January.

Gov. Brian Kemp announced Thursday that the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security agencies will open four mass COVID-19 vaccination sites in underserved areas of the state, starting on Monday.

They are near the Atlanta airport, as well as in Albany, Clarkesville and Macon, and will be offering drive-up vaccinations Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They will be able to distribute more than 20,000 vaccines per day combined.

Appointments will be necessary and are available to people categorized as A+1 under the state’s tiered priority list. That includes seniors 65 and older and their caregivers, long-term care residents, health care workers and first responders.

The state has created a new website, MyVaccineGeorgia.com, for booking appointments and for related information about vaccine appointments.

Those who aren’t yet eligible also can sign up at that site and receive updates.

The new mass vaccination sites are open to any legal residents of Georgia, but they must book an appointment at the link above and fall into the A+1 category:

Delta Air Museum, 1220 Woolman Place, Hapeville
Albany Forestry site, 2910 Newton Road, Albany
Habersham County Fairgrounds, 4235 Toccoa Highway, Clarkesville
Macon Farmers Market, 2055 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon

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