COVID-19 Archives

Leading COVID-19 metrics continue fall in Cobb; deaths lag

February 16, 2021 5:17 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID metrics fall — *PCR test positivity rates continue to fall in Cobb County; for more **visit the Georgia DPH Daily Status Report**.*

Many of the key COVID-19 metrics that have been on the decline in Cobb County over the last two weeks or so continue falling, although death rates are continuing to lag those figures.

We’ve been noting in particular the steep drop in case rates, generally in the county, and reported by the Cobb County School District (which is on winter break this week).

Other numbers that have been receding including community spread, hospitalizations and test positivity rates.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, as of 3 p.m. Tuesday, there were 160 new confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cobb County, according to the “date of report” category. There were also 12 more deaths reported on Tuesday in the same category, continuing a trend of double-figure death reports over the last month.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, there have been 53,826 cases in Cobb County and 791s death, per Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

On Monday Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, offered a snapshot update of those and other indicators in the two-county region.

The community spread figures continue to move down, with Tuesday’s 14-day moving average of 322 cases per 100,000 people, a drop of more than 100 from the end of last week.

After surging past 1,000 cases per 100,000 in early January, that number is now close to returning to what it was in October, when Cobb school district students were returning to campuses.

A two-week average of 100 cases per 100,000 is considered “high” community spread.

Hospitalization numbers also are doing down, with the Cobb and Douglas region falling to around 92 percent of general inpatient beds in use, after hovering near full capacity.

Also trending in a more positive direction is the COVID-19 test positivity rate. After peaking at around 20 percent in January, that figure in Cobb County is was at 8.9 percent on Tuesday, The seven-day moving average is 6.9, the closest is had been to the ideal 5 percent range since late November.

But vaccine distribution in Cobb remains very limited. Cobb and Douglas Public Health is in th second week of halting new appointments at Jim Miller Park as it honors previously booked appointments and second doses.

On Tuesday, no vaccines were distributed due to the cold weather, but those with appointments were to be notified about rescheduling.

For more Cobb COVID information, click here.

Wellstar honors ‘Vital Valentines’ employees for pandemic care

February 13, 2021 1:11 PM by Wendy Parker

Wellstar Vital Valentines

Submitted information and photos:

Wellstar Health System, one of Georgia’s largest and most integrated healthcare systems, is celebrating team members as “Vital Valentines” for providing extraordinary and compassionate care during the pandemic. The systemwide appreciation campaign honors all team members with special customized and heartfelt messages of support from Wellstar leaders.

When: From Feb. 10 to Feb. 14, Wellstar will distribute appreciation notes to all team members, including Valentine’s Day cards and candy hearts with customized Wellstar messages. Employees will also have the opportunity to share and acknowledge co-workers with notecards or recognize a team member by making an online donation to the Employee Assistance Fund in the honoree’s name.

Wellstar has launched a systemwide appreciation campaign to honor all team members as “Vital Valentines.”

Community Participation: Wellstar also encourages the public to join in celebrating Wellstar team members by following Wellstar social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. The community is invited to share photos, words of encouragement, and other appreciation items on social media by using the hashtag #vitalvalentines. Also, we’ve partnered with the Wellstar Foundation for anyone who would like to make a donation honoring a Wellstar physician, caregiver or team member by visiting www.wellstar.org/wccg. 100% of the donation will support the Foundation’s Emergency Assistance Fund, which offers emergency financial support to our healthcare workers and team members who experience unforeseen catastrophic events.

Wellstar Vital Valentines

Cobb COVID case rates, community spread continue to fall

February 10, 2021 4:36 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID cases continue fall — *Source: Georgia DPH. You can view more data its its daily COVID status report **by clicking here**.*

For the third day in a row, newly reported cases of COVID-19 in Cobb County numbered less than 200, as case rates and the county’s rate of community spread of the virus continue to fall.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported Tuesday that there were 114 new cases in Cobb, according to the “date of report” category, following 142 and 143 on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.

Wednesday’s total was the lowest date of report figure in Cobb since late November. The seven-day moving average of 190 also is the lowest in the county since early December.

The Georgia DPH reports cases and deaths two ways: By the dates cases and deaths are reported to the health agency, and the date of symptoms, or onset, and date of death.

The date of onset/date of death numbers also are going down, but high numbers of deaths in Cobb continue to lag.

There have been 15 deaths in Cobb via date of report since Monday, including 11 on Tuesday. But dates inside a 14-day window are likely to be revised.

On Jan. 26, the last day before current window, nine deaths took place in Cobb, a single-day high. Eight deaths occurred on two other recent days, Dec. 25 and Jan. 16.

Final January date of death figures in Cobb are not in; 137 deaths were reported by date of report statistics, which sometimes include deaths that took place in previous months.

Since the pandemic began last March, 754 people have died of COVID in Cobb County, and there have been 52,798 cases.

You can look through detailed Cobb County COVID data, include cases and deaths by age, race and ZIP codes, by clicking here.

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said in an update Tuesday to the Cobb Board of Commissioners that deaths typically lag cases and hospitalizations, which are also starting to go down.

She didn’t give specific numbers, but was also encouraged by a reduction in the level of community spread in Cobb County.

As the winter spike reached its peak, Cobb had a 14-day average of more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people. “High community spread” is a two-week average of 100 per 100,000, and Cobb has been under that total only briefly, for a few days in the fall, since last summer.

But as of Wednesday, Cobb’s community spread figure is at 415, both the result of the PCR tests and rapid antigen tests.

“We were more than double these rates just a few weeks ago,” Memark said.

But the availability of vaccines for the general public remains limited. Cobb and Douglas Health has not been booking new appointments for the last two weeks, and is using its supplies for those who previously had appointments.

On Monday, Memark said the agency distributed only 668 vaccines at Jim Miller Park. You can hear her full remarks on the video below. She did not indicate whether new vaccine appointments would be opening for next week, saying Cobb and Douglas Public Health may not get a significant increase in supplies until March or April.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health had been releasing appointments each Friday at 5 p.m. You can check that status and get more information about vaccine distribution by clicking here.

Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission issues COVID fraud alert

February 10, 2021 12:15 PMFebruary 10, 2021 9:07 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission COVID fraud alert

The Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission is getting out the word about COVID-19 fraud, and offers suggestions and resources to help you prevent from becoming a victim:

Be aware that criminals are attempting to exploit COVID-19 worldwide through a variety of scams.

Be on the lookout for antibody testing fraud schemes. Never share your personal or health information to anyone other than known and trusted medical professionals. Learn more about what to avoid.

Be cautious of unsolicited healthcare fraud schemes of testing and treatment through emails, phone calls, or in person. The U.S. have medical professionals and scientist working hard to find a cure, approved treatment, and vaccine for COVID-19. Learn more about what to avoid

Be wary of unsolicited telephone calls and e-mails from individuals claiming to be IRS and Treasury employees. Remember IRS first form of communications is by mail – not by phone. Learn more about fraudulent schemes related to IRS

Be aware of unemployment insurance fraud and learn the steps to take if you suspect criminals have exploited your identity. Learn more about unemployment insurance fraud.

Criminals will likely continue to use new methods to exploit COVID-19 worldwide. Stay alert and stay informed about common fraud schemes related to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Find out more about types of scams.
If you think you are a victim of a scam or attempted fraud involving COVID-19, you can report it without leaving your home by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.

No new COVID vaccine appointments at Jim Miller Park next week

February 6, 2021 10:39 AM by Wendy Parker

Jim Miller Park COVID vaccine appointments

From Cobb County Government:

No new appointments are available this week [Feb. 8-13] for COVID-19 vaccinations at Jim R. Miller Park. The supply to Cobb and Douglas Public Health is still too low to schedule new appointments.

They continue to work to give people second doses and handle rescheduled first doses.

For more visit: https://www.cobbcounty.org/…/no-new-vaccination…

Important Links:

Testing Appointments – https://covid19.dph.ga.gov/en-US/

Testing Locations (CORE) – https://www.coregeorgia.org/cobbanddouglascounty

COVID-19 Vaccinations – https://www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com/covid-vaccine/

COVID-19 Vaccination Providers – https://dph.georgia.gov/locations/covid-vaccination-site

COVID-19 Data (Georgia) – https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report

COVID-19 Data (Cobb) – https://reports.mysidewalk.com/17554e75c1

After 1M COVID vaccines, Georgia faces major supply shortage

February 4, 2021 3:26 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia COVID vaccine shortage

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp looked behind him at the COVID-19 vaccination set-up at Jim Miller Park on Wednesday and pointed to a trickle of cars coming through one lane, and another with no traffic at all.

“If we had more supply, that lane that is empty would be full of cars,” Kemp said during a news conference at the site that Cobb and Douglas Public Health has set up for the public to receive vaccines.

“This operation is exemplary, said Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The problem is there aren’t many vaccines to distribute, so it’s a venue that isn’t very busy right now.

That’s because of a severe supply shortage of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines that arrived in early January.

The issues aren’t just limited to Cobb and Georgia, but the time being, Cobb and Douglas Public Health isn’t booking new appointments.

This is what the Georgia Department of Public Health is calling Phase 1A+ and those eligible are seniors age 65 and older, first responders, law enforcement personnel and health care workers.

Of the 1 million vaccines distributed by Georgia DPH—or roughly two-thirds of what the state has received from the federal government—502,393 have been first shots for seniors.

While Kemp said he was happy with that progress, it’s far from being enough. He said that Georgia’s weekly allotment of vaccines from the federal government is being pushed up from around 120,000 doses to more than 154,000 doses, starting as soon as next week.

But with 2 million people eligible in Phase 1A+, including 1.3 million seniors, there’s still a long way to go.

“The supply does not meet the demand that we have in our state,” said Kemp, who was joined by Toomey, Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark and Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid.

The additional supplies are welcome, he added, but “it’s not going to change our shortage.”

Cobb and Douglas Public Health had been vaccinating around 700 people a day in Phase 1A+, but stopped taking new appointments last Friday, when it was able to give out only 400 shots.

Memark said the vaccine doses the agency has are being used for those people who had previous appointments. In a previous briefing to Cobb commissioners, she was hopeful that Jim Miller Park could distribute around 1,000 people daily.

Valerie Crow, a spokeswoman for Cobb and Douglas Public Health, could not say when vaccine appointments would resume and said “we don’t know what to expect as far as vaccine supply.”

Those eligible can get a vaccine through a medical provider and other locations like pharmacies, but “their vaccine supply has also been limited.”

Crow said those individuals who have received an initial vaccination will be contacted about booking a second appointment. “We have a team working on this now,” she said.

Citizens in Phase 1A+ don’t have to be vaccinated in their county of residence, and Georgia DPH has set up locator site with information on availability. The only requirement, Crow said, is that they be Georgia residents.

While a new variant of COVID-19 is emerging in the metro Atlanta area, case rates are falling throughout the state.

The seven-day moving average has fallen 46 percent in Georgia from its high of 6,353 on Jan. 11.

In Cobb, that number also has fallen rapidly, from 576 on Jan. 12 to 275 on Thursday, according to the Georgia DPH daily status report.

The level of community spread also has dropped significantly in Cobb, to a 14-day average of 562 cases per 100,000 people. In January, that figure was over 1,000.

Cobb reported 268 new cases on Thursday and seven deaths, following 11 deaths reported on Wednesday. Since the COVID pandemic began last March, there have been 51,668 cases in Cobb County and 723 deaths.

In Georgia there were 6,066 new PCR and antigen tests reported and 141 deaths on Thursday. In the state, a total of 13,048 people have died from COVID since last March.

“We’re still in a deadly race against a very contagious virus,” Kemp said. “This virus is killing too many of our fellow Georgians.”

Kemp and health officials urged the public to remain cautious and practice the 3Ws—washing hands, wearing masks, and practicing social distancing.

“We still have a lot of fighting to do in Cobb County,” Memark said. “We still have a lot of hope that comes with this vaccine.”

COVID-19 variant detected in Cobb, 8 other Georgia counties

February 1, 2021 4:58 PM by Wendy Parker

The Georgia Department of Public Health on Monday said that 19 cases of a COVID-19 variant first detected in the United Kingdom have been confirmed in the state, including in Cobb County.

The nine counties Georgia DPH identified as having variant cases are in metro Atlanta: Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Paulding.

The individuals diagnosed with the variant are between the ages of 15 to 61. They include eight males and 11 females, according to a Georgia DPH press release, which added that the agency is “working to identify close contacts of the individuals, and will monitor them closely.”

Georgia DPH didn’t break down the number of cases in each county.

Last week, Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark told county commissioners that a mutation of COVID-19 had been detected in Cobb, but didn’t elaborate.

The variant detected by Georgia DPH is called B.1.1.7, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control said emerged in the U.K. and was first identified in the United States in December. At least 30 states have reported B.1.1.7 cases.

The CDC said that mutation “may be associated with an increased risk of death compared with other variants” and that it may become the dominant strain in the U.S. by March.

The Georgia DPH release said that Pfizer and Moderna, whose vaccines have been distributed in limited quantities in the state, say those vaccines “appear to work against this variant.”

Georgia DPH urged the public to follow familiar habits to prevent the spread of COVID: Wearing masks, washing hands and practicing social-distancing.

The agency also said that “just because [the variant] has not been identified in a particular city or county does not mean it is not there—individuals could be infected anywhere in the state, or in some cases out of state.”

Georgia DPH reported 2,587 new COVID cases and 44 deaths on Monday. In Cobb, there were 236 new cases and one new death, bringing the county’s cumulative totals from last March to 50,928 and 702.

After a serious spike in cases in early January—Cobb reported a single-day record of 981 on Jan. 8—case rates have been falling, both according to the “date of report,” when a positive COVID case is reported to health authorities, and “date of onset,” or the day someone feels symptoms and gets tested.

Also falling are Cobb’s figures on community spread—as seen in the Cobb GIS graphic above. After surpassing a 14-day average of more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people, Georgia DPH data on Monday show that number is 611 in Cobb.

That’s well above the “high community spread” threshold of 100 cases, but Memark said in her remarks the drop is an encouraging sign.

What’s not encouraging are efforts to vaccine those at high risk in Georgia. Cobb and Douglas Public Health said Friday it is not taking any new appointments for vaccinations because of limited vaccine supplies, and is using what it has for those already with confirmed first appointments, and those people needing second doses.

The CDPH website has been available for new appointments every Friday at 5 p.m., but it’s unclear whether that will be happening this week.

The agency distributed only 400 vaccines on Friday, after providing nearly 700 on Monday. Memark said increasing the number of shipments may not happen until March or April.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health ‘pausing’ COVID-19 vaccines

January 30, 2021 3:40 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb health director COVID vaccines — *Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark.*

Due to a shortage of COVID-19 vaccine supplies, Cobb and Douglas Public Health said Friday it is temporarily “pausing” appointments for the public.

Since early January, the health agency had been releasing appointment slots each Friday for the following week, prioritizing health care workers, first responders and people ages 65 and older.

But the latest update, which didn’t specify when vaccinations might resume, indicated that current supplies may not increase until March or April.

In a message on its website, Cobb and Douglas Public Health also said that those who have a previously scheduled appointment for a first or second dose “will not be affected by this change unless you have been contacted.”

The agency said that when more appointments become available, they will be posted on its website and social media accounts.

In its status update on Friday—you can read through it by clicking here—Cobb and Douglas Public Health said it has administered 14,000 doses of the COVID vaccines since early January, including 11,896 at Jim Miller Park in Marietta.

But only 410 doses were given at Jim Miller on Friday, down from nearly 700 that had been distributed on Monday. That figure was provided in a briefing Tuesday to Cobb commissioners by Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Dr. Janet Memark.

In her remarks, Memark said the agency was “prioritizing second doses” and that “if we have some extra we’ll schedule a first dose.”

But as the week continued the available vaccine doses began running out.

The Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are being given by Cobb and Douglas Public Health, which is hopeful that it soon will get supplies of the Astra Zeneca and Johnson and Johnson vaccines. The latter is a single-dose vaccine.

As of Saturday there have been 50,173 confirmed COVID cases in Cobb County from PCR tests and 11,923 more from antigen tests since last March.

A total of 693 have died in Cobb since that time, and 38 have been reported since Monday. Those include 13 deaths reported on Wednesday and 12 on Thursday.

The case rate is starting to drop slightly in Cobb, as are the community spread figures. As of Saturday, the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 people in the county is 661, after surpassing 1,000 earlier this month.

Earlier this week Cobb and metro-Atlanta school board members and superintendents sent letters to Gov. Brian Kemp asking for school staff to be prioritized for vaccines, but on Tuesday his spokesman said that Kemp “has repeatedly stated—as recently as today—that as soon as Georgia begins to receive increased vaccine supply, teachers and school staff will absolutely be included in any expanded criteria.”

Cobb health officials ask for patience with COVID vaccine

January 20, 2021 3:26 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb health officials COVID vaccine — *Lisa Crossman, assistant director, Cobb and Douglas Public Health*

Cobb public health officials said Tuesday they understand public frustrations over distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, but asked for patience as they work to improve an online appointment booking program and to get more shipments of the vaccine.

During a virtual town hall held by Cobb County Government, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, repeated remarks she made to county commissioners last week that “there’s not enough vaccine to meet the demand that we have.”

She also said she’s hopeful that by the time appointments for vaccines for next week are opened on Friday afternoon, that the health agency’s webpage that handles those bookings will be able to meet that high demand.

“We’re looking to move the site to another server” for appointments, she said.

(You can watch the full town hall at the bottom of this post.)

This is the second week people age 65 and older have been able to sign up for the vaccines, which are being given in a drive-through format at Jim Miller Park.

But the site crashed almost as soon as it was launched, and appointments were booked in just a matter of minutes.

In Georgia, only 80,000 vaccines are being distributed a week to a variety of public and private providers.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health has been providing several hundred vaccinations a week, with a goal of being able to get to around 1,200 or so, Memark said.

“We’re hoping that the federal government will be able to send more vaccines,” she said. “We’re doing the best we can with what we have.”

Lisa Crossman, the health agency’s assistant director, said there are 1,700 providers around the state, and urged residents to contact a variety of potential sources that may have vaccines, including their own physicians, pharmacies and employers.

Cobb residents don’t have to get a vaccine in the county, and the Georgia Department of Public Health has provided a vaccination locator that is being updated.

Phase 1A+ of the vaccine distribution in Georgia also includes caregivers of those who are 65 and older.

Memark said only one caregiver per eligible senior will be allowed to register to get the vaccine.

She also said her agency is beginning community outreach to provide vaccines for those who cannot come to Jim Miller Park, and to connect with seniors who are not Internet users.

Crossman suggested that friends and family members could help with the online appointment process, as well as provide transportation to get the vaccine.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health continues to provide COVID testing, and you’re asked to book an appointment by clicking here.

Memark said to make sure you’ve signed up for the right service, because “some people came for a vaccine when they signed up for a test.”

For both tests and vaccines, appointments are required and no walk-ups will be taken.

Crossman said there’s still a high demand for COVID tests, with the agency conducting more than 8,000 a week in both Cobb and Douglas counties.

Cobb continues to be a growing hot spot for COVID infection in Georgia, with 359 new confirmed cases on Tuesday.

The death toll also has been on a sharp rise recently in the county, with nine more deaths in Cobb reported Wednesday, for 637 overall since last March.

There have been 47 COVID deaths in January in Cobb, and Memark said this month is shaping up to be one of the deadliest months since the pandemic began.

Memark said a new variant of the virus has come to Cobb, and while it’s not considered as deadly, “it can make you sick enough. . . . We have to clamp down and do what we can until more vaccines arrive.”

She continued to encourage citizens to wash their hands and wear masks and socially-distance when in public, but to shelter-in-place as much as possible.

A second dose of the vaccine is coming for some who’ve already had an initial vaccination.

Crossman said that for those who’ve received a shot, they shouldn’t assume an instant effect.

“It takes your body a while to build up immunity,” she said, adding that depending on which vaccine people get there could be six weeks in between vaccinations.

“We don’t know if this is a vaccine that will be repeatedly yearly or if it’s going to be a one-tine thing.”

Cobb government to hold virtual town hall for COVID vaccines

January 16, 2021 3:06 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID vaccine town hall — *Mohammed Hisamuddin and Farhat Hisamuddin, the in-laws of East Cobb resident Qamar Hisamuddin, got COVID vaccines from Cobb and Douglas Public Health.*

We continue to get many questions from readers about their frustrations booking appointments for the COVID vaccines being offered by Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

Shortly after 5 p.m. Friday, when next week’s appointments were released, they were already filled.

On Saturday morning Cobb County government sent a message saying that it’s holding a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday with health department leaders to answer the public’s questions about the vaccinations and appointments.

That town hall starts at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 19, and you can watch live at at facebook.com/cobbcountygovernment or youtube.com/cobbcountygovt.

You’re also invited to send questions in advance to comments@cobbcounty.org.

The current phase of testing is for health care workers, first responders and people 65 and older, and it’s the latter group we’re hearing from most of all.

People are frustrated that the server for the appointment page is down—it’s been crashing all week—or when they’re able to get through, there are no more bookings available.

As we posted earlier this week, Cobb and Douglas Public Health is taking appointments a week at a time, based on vaccine ability.

A few comments we got Friday night:

Please take care of these older people! The website is the only way and it is constantly jammed.

I have tried all day every day for last 2 weeks when vaccine became available and have not been able to get through. I am 82 and been praying every day as I am doing what I should ie wearing Masks, staying mostly home and am scared due to very high people in hospital with COVID.

On Tuesday, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, admitted that “there are just not enough vaccines” to meet the heavy demand.

Late Friday afternoon, she said there only 80,000 vaccinations available a week to providers throughout Georgia.

“Our bi-weekly talks with the Georgia Department of Health reveal that they are actively working on plans to further increase the number of providers able to offer vaccinations including large retailers like Wal-Mart and Kroger,” she said. “Although it is difficult to hear as this pandemic wears on, we urge patience to allow more providers to come online to offer the vaccination.”

She said growing COVID case numbers “is an additional concern to an already dire situation.” In the last two weeks, there have been more than 10,000 PCR and antigen cases in Cobb and Douglas counties, with the highest levels of hospitalization yet during the pandemic, which is in its 11th month.

Nearly 500 cases also were reported this week in the Cobb County School District, which is going fully remote next week.

Memark said that while “we are all fatigued and stressed by the effects of this year-long pandemic . . . the vaccine is here and will be distributed faster and faster. We must all do what we can to give this plan time to work. The cases are exceptionally high right now. We will be feeling the effects of holiday gatherings. We urge all citizens to do what needs to be done to control the pandemic. Try your best to not leave your homes unless you absolutely have to leave. Try to telework when you can. Try not to gather with those outside of our households. Wear your masks in public. Wash your hands frequently. Do not leave your homes if you have COVID-19 or are in close contact with someone who had it.

“Working together as a community is the only way we will beat this pandemic.”

Cobb COVID vaccine appointments available on Fridays

January 15, 2021 12:53 PM by Wendy Parker

Earlier this week Cobb and Douglas Public Health sent out word that online appointments to get a COVID-19 vaccine become available every Friday at 5 p.m.

We’re repeating that message here, with links to sign up and get more information.

As we noted previously, CDPH is doing this one week at a time, as new supplies of the vaccine become available.

On Tuesday, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, admitted there are “just not enough vaccines” as the online appointment booking page crashed due to overwhelming demand.

That sign-up page has been down intermittently during the week.

This is the continuation of phase 1A+, which is limited to first responders, health care workers and people 65 and over.

Vaccinations will take place every Monday-Saturday at Jim Miller Park. Here’s more from CDPH:

Key Points to Remember:

Everyone must have an appointment to receive a vaccine. Individuals may come together in the same car if they have appointments for the same day, even if different times.

Please be patient as Cobb & Douglas Public Health is adding appointments to the system no more than a week at a time due to uncertain vaccine supply.

Approved vaccine providers are being activated daily across the state. Please check this Georgia Department of Public Health vaccine locator for vaccine providers: https://dph.georgia.gov/locations/covid-vaccination-site

There are a limited number of appointments each day, so you may not get an appointment right away.

Please follow the instructions in your appointment confirmation email.

Cobb public health director: ‘There are just not enough vaccines’

January 13, 2021 5:18 PMJanuary 12, 2021 6:00 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb health director COVID vaccines

The director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health said Tuesday the agency ran out of its allotted COVID-19 vaccines on the first day that people age 65 and older could book an appointment.

The demand was so strong that it overwhelmed a state-run website set up to take appointments for most of Monday.

In remarks Tuesday to the Cobb Board of Commissioners, Dr. Janet Memark apologized for the website crash, but said no new appointments will be released until the agency gets more vaccines.

She said all appointments for the rest of this week are already booked, and that another shipment of vaccines is expected soon to get through the end of next week.

“There are just not enough vaccines for everybody,” said Memark, who didn’t disclose the initial number of vaccines her agency received.

On Monday, 700 vaccines were administered in a drive-thru set-up at Jim Miller Park, and the agency has vaccinated 2,500 people in all. She said the eventual goal is to be able to provide 1,000 vaccines a day in Cobb.

Those 65 and older and their caregivers, and first responders, are eligible for the vaccines in the state’s 1A+ phase.

Even late Tuesday afternoon, the scheduling link for booking an appointment gave a busy server message. Memark said the Georgia Department of Public Health server was running at 210 percent capacity, and that a new server had to be found to handle the demand.

The Cobb and Douglas Public Health website, which was down for most of Monday, is back up and running, and is offering basic information on the vaccine appointments process.

Memark said appointments are necessary—there are no walk-up vaccines being offered—and that those eligible for them can go to another county and get them.

But demand is high everywhere, she said, noting that in a nearby county, a limit of 9,000 appointments were made in six minutes.

She said Georgia DPH is working on a universal scheduling program that should be available soon.

“Please be patient with us,” Memark said, adding that her agency will be releasing more appointment slots when more vaccines are delivered.

“A week at a time,” she said. “As demand ramps up, we pray that production ramps up.”

She said even when improvements are made to the appointment system, “it will probably not be perfect.”

Georgia DPH also has created a COVID vaccination locator page that has details about availability, hours and contact information.

Here’s some updated information sent out by Cobb and Douglas Public Health about scheduling an appointment:

Cobb and Douglas County Residents,

If you are a first responder, healthcare worker, or 65 years of age or older, please click on one of the links below to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments are posted one week at a time due to uncertain vaccine availability. Please check back each Friday after 5 p.m. for appointments for the coming Monday-Saturday.

Please Note: COVID-19 appointments for this week (week of 1/11/21) have all been filled.

Cobb: www.cdphcovidvaccineappointments.org
Douglas: www.douglascovidvax.org

Key Points to Remember:

Everyone must have an appointment to receive a vaccine. Individuals may come together in the same car if they have appointments for the same day, even if different times.
Please be patient as Cobb & Douglas Public Health is adding appointments to the system no more than a week at a time due to uncertain vaccine supply.
Approved vaccine providers are being activated daily across the state. Please check this Georgia Department of Public Health vaccine locator for vaccine providers: https://dph.georgia.gov/locations/covid-vaccination-site
There are a limited number of appointments each day, so you may not get an appointment right away.
Please follow the instructions in your appointment confirmation email.

Memark continued to encourage citizens to wash their hands, socially distance and wear masks in public, but urged people not to go out unless absolutely necessary.

“We are in a very dire situation,” Memark said. “There is no end in sight right now.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, there were 427 new COVID cases reported in Cobb, following a single-day record of 96 last Thursday.

Cobb’s community spread data reached new heights on Tuesday, with a 14-day average of 923 cases per 100,000 people.

Eight more deaths were also reported Tuesday, giving Cobb 589 since last March, the second-highest number in Georgia.

Memark urged school parents to go virtual with their students if they could, as the Cobb school district said Tuesday that five schools will be doing that for the rest of the week.

However, the district has said that Memark has not recommended that the entire district go all-virtual.

As Cobb COVID vaccination page crashes, Wellstar vaccines begin

January 11, 2021 10:31 PMJanuary 11, 2021 6:34 PM by Wendy Parker

We’ve continued to get messages all day Monday from citizens wishing to book an appointment from Cobb and Douglas Public Health for a COVID-19 vaccine, but that page has crashed—as has the entire CDPH website— and it continues to be down.

UPDATED, 10:30 P.M.: Both links appear to be back online.

The crash was part of a larger outage system at the Georgia Department of Public Health, whose servers have been overwhelmed by the requests.

As we noted this morning, Monday is the first day those 65 and older and their caregivers could sign up for the vaccines, which are scheduled to be administered starting Tuesday at Jim Miller Park.

How many people have actually gotten through to book an appointment, or at least provide contact information to start the appointment process, we just don’t know right now.

We saw the booking page in a flash on only one occasion, after several attempts we’ve made trying to access that page.

A reader told us late Monday about being able to book an appointment for Wednesday, but only after constant efforts lasting several hours.

We don’t have much more information to share at this time, and we cannot pass along messages to the health agency for you.

We have been inundated with urgent messages wanting to make an appointment, and while we understand your frustrations, we’re a community news site unaffiliated with the health agency or Cobb County government.

Some readers have called in asking about a phone number at CDPH to contact, but there isn’t anything along those lines either.

Late Monday afternoon, Wellstar Health System sent along word that it has scheduled 10,000 appointments for vaccines for its primary care patients who are 65 and older.

Those vaccinations began on Monday, according to a statement released by Wellstar, which also said these vaccines are only for patients who are already in their primary care system and not the general public. All the allotted appointments have been filled “due to significant demand for the COVID-19 vaccine.”

If you are a Wellstar primary care patient 65 and older, you can sign up for additional time slots when they become available through its MyChart scheduling tool.

You’re asked to call 470-956-7000 for a recorded message or visit www.wellstar.org for updated information.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health COVID vaccination page down

January 11, 2021 10:59 AMJanuary 11, 2021 9:03 AM by Wendy Parker

We’ve been getting a lot of calls and messages this morning from people trying to book a COVID vaccination appointment with Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

But that page has crashed—as has the entire CDPH website— after what county is saying is a server error “due to an overwhelming response.”

That server is run by the Georgia Department of Public Health, according to a Cobb County statement, and we don’t have an estimated time for now on when it might be back up.

Monday is the first day citizens 65 and older and their caregivers can sign up to get a vaccine, and we’ve been hearing from a good number of them over the last few days, after Cobb and Douglas Public Health announced what it calls the Phase 1A+ of its public vaccination program.

The message the county sent out shortly before 9 Monday morning said state public health officials “are working to bring the servers back online and hope to do so in the coming hours.”

A few readers who’ve called in have said when they were able to get to the site early this morning, before it crashed, they didn’t see many appointment slots available, and they never got a chance to sign up.

When the site does come back up, here’s the link for appointments.

While we appreciate hearing from readers and understand the urgency for those wanting to get a vaccine, we at East Cobb News can’t facilitate anything for you to get an appointment.

We’re not associated with the health agencies or county government, but will be updating information about the vaccine appointments as we get it.

If you have other related questions, send them our way and we’ll try to do our best to get answers.

As COVID numbers soar, Cobb prepares for vaccine rollout

January 11, 2021 10:50 AMJanuary 9, 2021 2:12 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID vaccine rollout — *Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, administering a vaccine at Jim Miller Park this week.*

UPDATED MONDAY, Jan. 11: The Cobb and Douglas Public Health COVID appointment page crashed Monday morning, due to “overwhelming response.” We’ll update when the page comes back online.

ORIGINAL POST

Ever since our post on Tuesday about the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccine by Cobb and Douglas Public Health, we’ve gotten a lot of messages, comments and questions about booking appointments, etc.

On Thursday selected health care and other front line workers began receiving the vaccines at Jim Miller Park, which is the site for the drive-up vaccines that the agency is administering.

The next phase that begins on Tuesday—what’s being called Phase 1A+—includes anyone age 65 and older. Appointments can be booked on its website starting Monday.

A number of people left comments on that post wanting to book an appointment, leaving urgent messages that they tried getting in touch and haven’t heard back, they have medical issues or are a caregiver for someone who does, and so on.

The level of anxiety clearly is increasing, and we had to point out that it won’t be until Monday that you can go to the link, fill out your name and address and start the process for getting an appointment.

I want to clarify with readers that leaving a request in our comments section will not get an appointment booked for them. East Cobb News is a news site, not a public health agency.

We cannot relay messages to the health agency about your desire to get an appointment. You will have to go to the Cobb and Douglas Public Health website Monday and do that.

A reader asked when that link will be activated, but I was told it will still be on Monday, with no specific time.

You will not be able to go to Jim Miller Park without an appointment—they’re not accepting any walk-ups, which has been the case with COVID testing.

After getting a vaccine in your car, you’ll be asked to stay for a 15-minute observation period.

We got back in touch with Cobb and Douglas Public Health Friday to find out more about the upcoming 1A+ phase, but at this point there isn’t a whole lot else to add.

We wanted to know how long this phase is scheduled and how many doses will be available for it, but a spokeswoman did not respond to those questions.

When we asked her how long it might take for a person who’s booked an appointment to be able to get a vaccine, she said that “we are still working through everything. . . . We will see on Monday.”

The case numbers for COVID-19 continue to reach their highest levels in Cobb County and across Georgia. On Friday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported 940 newly confirmed cases in Cobb County, crushing the previous “date of report” record of 635 on Jan. 1.

As we noted in a post right before Christmas, “date of report” means the date tests are reported to the Georgia DPH, not the “date of onset”—or when someone reports having COVID symptoms and gets tested.

That metric also has been skyrocketing, with a record 534 cases confirmed on Dec. 21. On Dec. 28, there were 666 cases noted in the “date of onset” category, although that’s still within a 14-day window that is likely to be revised.

The rate of community spread continues to grow to its highest levels, with Cobb averaging 792 cases per 100,000 people over a 14-day period.

Anything above a two-week average of 100 cases per 100,000 is considered high community spread.

As of Friday, there have been 41,077 confirmed COVID cases in Cobb County and 577 deaths.

Of those deaths, 87 percent have been among people age 60 and older, and 482 had at least one known comorbidity.

Cobb COVID-19 vaccinations start Thursday at Jim Miller Park

January 11, 2021 11:30 AMJanuary 5, 2021 4:16 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb coronavirus statement

ORIGINAL POST

Cobb and Douglas Public Health announced Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccinations will be available for residents according to a priority list starting Thursday at Jim Miller Park.

The vaccinations will be administered by appointment only, and starting Thursday only for those eligible under Phase 1A—healthcare workers on the front lines. Here’s what the health agency is saying about those in that group:

“A vaccination appointment system has been created exclusively for Phase 1A participants and they will receive an email from CDPH on how to register after they complete the enrollment form. Participants in Group 1A will be asked for proof of healthcare personnel status and priority will be given to Cobb and Douglas County residents.”

Starting Tuesday, Jan. 12, those in Phase 1A+ will be able to get vaccinations. Those include public safety workers and any individuals age 65 and older. Cobb and Douglas Public Health said it will open an appointment system on Monday on its website.

For both of those groups, here’s how the vaccinations will take place:

“Participants will be asked to remain on-site for 15 minutes for post-vaccination observation. No walk-up appointments are available—participants must remain in their vehicle to receive the vaccine and be accessible to clinical staff providing the shot.”

Jim Miller Park is located at 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta. It’s been a full-time COVID-19 testing location for Cobb and Douglas Public Health since April and is conducting tests there and at other locations in Cobb; you can sign up to get tested by clicking here.

More vaccine information from CDPH can be found here.

Shortly before Christmas, Cobb and Douglas Public Health workers received the Moderna vaccine as part of an initial shipment of more than 150,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Georgia.

Private and other health care providers are also preparing to administer the vaccine starting next week.

As 2020 nears end, East Cobb COVID-19 cases approach 9,000

December 30, 2020 6:17 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb COVID cases — *To view details of cases and deaths by ZIP code, **click here** for a swipe map.*

A couple days’ worth of data remains to be added, but the last full week of 2020 saw another big jump of reported cases of COVID-19 in East Cobb.

On Dec. 22 we posted a ZIP Code map update showing 8,038 cases in East Cobb, and 120 deaths, since the pandemic began in March.

According to Commissioner Bob Ott’s latest numbers posted late Tuesday, 795 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported since then, and two more deaths:

30062: 2,579 cases, 31 deaths
30066: 2,383, 31 deaths
30067: 2,202 cases, 24 deaths
30068: 1,353 cases, 34 deaths
30075: 306 cases, 2 deaths

A total of 36 deaths have been reported in long-term care facilities.

Those numbers are part of a larger Cobb County total of 36,240 cases and 549 deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

The Georgia DPH Daily Status Report also indicates a growing rate of community spread, with a 14-day average of 631 cases per 100,000 people in Cobb County.

A week ago, that number was 601, and it’s much higher than the “high community spread” threshold of a 14-day average of 100 cases per 100,000.

Over the last two weeks, according to Georgia DPH, more than 5,000 new cases have been confirmed in Cobb County, and more than 70,000 across the state.

On Wednesday, 433 more cases were reported in Cobb, according to “date of report.” It’s a metric that includes a backlog of cases, and was punctuated last week by a high-water mark of 611 cases on Dec. 24.

Across Georgia, 5,496 new cases were reported, and 49 new deaths were confirmed on Wednesday.

For the year, there have been 558,177 COVID-19 cases in Georgia and 9,808 deaths.

A more precise indicator for case totals is “date of onset,” or the date when a person reports having COVID symptoms.

That number has been rising sharply in recent weeks as well, with a record 502 cases in Cobb on Dec. 14 and 465 on Dec. 15. That metric comes with a 14-day window, and the 7-day moving average of cases dating back to Dec. 16 is 362, the highest figure recorded since the pandemic began in March.

According to Cobb and Douglas Public Health, 77.4 percent of those in the county with confirmed COVID-19 cases are between the ages of 15-59.

However, the elderly comprise the strong majority of those dying from the virus, with 86.7 percent being 60 and older.

Those 80 and over who have died are 41.8 percent of all the COVID fatalities in Cobb, and 30.1 percent are between 70-79.

According to Ott’s figures, of the 549 Cobb deaths, 460 of those people had known underlying health issues, 57 did not and it was not known whether the other 30 had comorbidities.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health workers get Moderna vaccine

December 23, 2020 5:31 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Douglas Public Health Moderna vaccine — *CDPH staff member Nicholas Hayes administers COVID-19 vaccine at the Marietta Public Health Center.*

Submitted information and photo:

Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) has received the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and began providing vaccinations to staff wishing to be vaccinated on the CDPH Marietta campus. This will be followed by vaccine administration to district healthcare personnel working on the front lines of the pandemic, and residents of local long-term care facilities, starting this week.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, as of Dec. 22, more than 125,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and more than 30,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine have been shipped to Georgia.

Janet Memark, MD, District Health Director said, “After 10 very long months of fighting this virus on the front lines, CDPH is so excited to be able to provide some protection to our district healthcare workers so that they can continue to serve our residents while also protecting themselves and their families.”

A spokeswoman for Cobb and Douglas Public health could not say how many doses were administered, and to how many employees, but said the vaccinations will continue for frontline workers this week.

Doses of the Moderna vaccine also will go to organizations like CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort), which partners with CDPH to conduct COVID testing.

She said other doses will be distributed “to independent healthcare providers who have not secured their own supply.”

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