The organizers of the Marietta Greek Festival announced Thursday that this year’s event, scheduled for May 15-17, has been cancelled and will not be made up. Here’s the message that’s being sent out:
“As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our utmost concern is for the health and safety of our guests, neighbors, and church family. We look forward to seeing you again in May 2021 – as always, the weekend after Mother’s Day!”
That was the last of the major spring festivals and events in East Cobb to announce a cancellation or postponement.
The May 2 Taste of East Cobb was called off last month, as was the Cobb Master Gardeners plant sale and expo and spring garden tour.
Another event that had been scheduled for April 18 will be held in the summer.
That’s the sendoff for retiring Temple Kol Emeth Rabbi Steven Lebow, whose Opus celebration is now taking place on July 18.
Send Us Your News!
If you have Coronavirus-related event changes, business openings or closings to share with the public, e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
“This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe and secure when in-person voting begins and prioritizes the health and safety of voters, county election officials, and poll workers,” Raffensparger said.
He had resisted calls from Georgia House Speaker Dennis Ralston and others to delay the elections due to the statewide response to COVID-19, which has claimed 370 lives and infected more than 10,000 people in the state.
The Georgia delay also comes two days after the Wisconsin primary took place following a legal battle in which the state’s Supreme Court overturned the governor’s attempt to postpone voting.
There were poll worker shortages reported and many polling places were closed and consolidated. Citizens showed up at polls waiting in long lines, not able to observe social distancing guidelines, to cast their ballots.
In his announcement Thursday, Raffensparger said there were concerns from county elections officials in southwest Georgia that they “could not overcome the challenges brought on by COVID-19 in time for in-person voting to begin on April 27.”
The Albany area and surrounding counties have been hard-hit by COVID-19, with a state-high 62 deaths reported in Dougherty County.
The voter registration deadline has been pushed back to May 11, and early voting will take place on May 18.
Raffensparger had mailed out an absentee ballot application to all registered voters in Georgia, and the number of requests has overwhelmed county elections officials.
That includes Cobb Elections, which this week notified county voters that the Secretary of State’s vendor had not yet started mailing out absentee ballots.
According to Raffensparger, absentee ballot applications “will continue to be accepted and processed by counties even if the application said May 19. Once county election officials properly verify the signature on the application, the voter will be sent an absentee ballot for the primary election now to be held on June 9.”
The general primary includes voting for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by David Perdue, Congressional races, state legislative races, county commission contests, school board campaigns and judicial seats.
Any runoffs will now take place on Aug. 11.
The race for the U.S. Senate seat held by Kelly Loeffler will be a “jungle primary” held during the Nov. 3 general election.
The presidential preference primary had been moved to May 19 from its original date of March 24, but there won’t be anything unresolved on the ballot.
President Donald Trump is the only Republican candidate on the ballot, and former vice president Joe Biden is the presumptive Democratic nominee after Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign this week.
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Gov. Brian Kemp also has extended a statewide shelter-in-place order through the end of April. It was also set to expire on April 13.
Gyms, bars and places where people gather will stay closed, as will restaurants for dining service.
People are asked to limit travel for necessary shopping such as food and medical care, but to observe social distancing measures.
Churches, synagogues and other places of worship as well as funerals are allowed if no more than 10 people attend, also following social distancing protocols.
But many faith communities have been conducting virtual services for several weeks, and are doing so for Passover and Easter observances this week.
The governor’s extended order Wednesday afternoon also places further obligations on senior, nursing and long-term care homes to help stop the spread of the virus.
Many facilities have been barring visitors, serving residents meals in their rooms and cancelling group activities.
Those facilities also must now incorporate infectious disease transfer procedures with nearby hospitals.
Elderly people comprise a major number of COVID-19 cases. In Georgia, the median age of those dying from the virus is 74, and in Cobb it’s around 70.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
A public health emergency in Georgia that was set to expire on April 13 has been extended another month by Gov. Brian Kemp.
He announced Wednesday that as a result, he would not request a special session of the Georgia General Assembly, similar to a one-day session last month that approved his initial declaration, which includes an expansion of emergency powers due to the COVID-19 health crisis.
That legislative session tentatively had been scheduled for April 15. But under state law, a Georgia governor can renew a public health emergency without the approval of lawmakers.
“This measure will allow us to continue to deploy resources to communities in need, lend support to frontline medical providers, and keep preparing as we brace for potential patient surge in our healthcare facilities,” Kemp said in a statement that was jointly issued with Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan and House Speaker Dennis Ralston.
“In these unprecedented times, we ask Georgians for their continued patience and prayers, especially for first responders, law enforcement, and the healthcare workers caring for the medically fragile. They are going above and beyond to keep us all safe, and we will never be able to repay them for their sacrifices.”
UPDATED: As of noon Wednesday, 9,901 cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Georgia, with 362 deaths and 1,993 hospitalizations.
Cobb County has 588 confirmed cases and 29 deaths, both among the highest figures in the state. For a larger version of the map below, click here.
Georgia has tested relatively few people compared to other states, with 38,707 individuals in all. The state’s public health agency has set up drive-through testing centers around Georgia, including one at Jim Miller Park in Cobb County.
But only individuals identified in vulnerable populations, health care workers, first responders and those with a medical referral are allowed to get those tests.
The entire legislature was self-quarantined after being exposed to COVID-19 by colleagues. Among those testing positive was State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick of East Cobb, who is recovering after undergoing a quarantine period.
Extending the public health emergency has no bearing on a statewide shelter-in-place ordered by Kemp through April 13.
That order restricts all business and other activities to 10 people or less, observing social distancing measures.
Families and individuals must also shelter-in-place except for essential travel and business or immediate family reasons.
Those businesses or operations not deemed to be part of the “critical infrastructure” will be limited to what the order calls “minimum basic operations,” also following social distancing and hygiene and sanitation practices.
Other “personal touch” businesses also must close, including bowling alleys, cinemas and live performance theaters.
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As the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues to have unprecedented impacts on the state, Georgia Power’s suspension of disconnections is being extended following a vote by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). The company originally announced it would suspend disconnects in mid-March for at least 30 days to assist customers through this challenging time. Today’s vote extends the decision beyond the original timeframe, assuring customers that the suspension of disconnects will remain in place as the pandemic continues to impact customers in the state.
“We recognize the extraordinary burden the COVID-19 pandemic has put upon our state and our customers,” said Paul Bowers, chairman, president and CEO of Georgia Power. “We commend the Commissioners for their vote to extend the disconnect suspension and allow for special customer payment provisions. It is going to take all of us continuing to think about how we can support each other to see our communities through this uncertain time.”
In addition to today’s measure, Georgia Power expects the PSC will vote next month on the company’s request to lower its Fuel Cost Recovery allowance, which would lower monthly bills by approximately $5 for the typical residential customer using 1,000 kwh per month, if approved. The lower rate would go into effect in June 2020.
As part of their action, the PSC is also joining Georgia Power in encouraging all customers to continue making payments to avoid large balance due amounts when the suspension ends. The company will also look to implement special payment plans to help customers catch up on past-due amounts once disconnections are reinstated based on the direction from the Commission.
Online Bill Payment Options
With Governor Kemp’s recent shelter in place order, the company reminds customers of online bill payment options. Customers can pay their bill online on GeorgiaPower.com with a credit or debit card or with a checking or savings account. The company has eliminated fees associated with credit and debit card payments. Customers can also pay via the Georgia Power Mobile App, which can be downloaded for free from both the App Store (Apple) and Google Play Store (Android).
Rate Plan Options
Georgia Power is also increasing its emphasis on rate plan offerings such as FlatBill and PrePay. FlatBill offers a fixed monthly bill regardless of a customer’s usage during the period. That means no rising bills during summer’s heat or winter’s cold – just one flat amount. PrePay puts customers in control of when they pay for their electricity and allows them to pay as they go with a PrePay account. As customers use electricity, their balance is reduced. This flexibility allows customers to better manage their budget and energy usage with no deposit requirement, no credit check and no reconnect fees. Smart Usage, Nights & Weekends and other options also help customers find a plan that fits their budget and lifestyle. Learn more at www.GeorgiaPower.com/RatePlans.
Tips, Tools & Resources
Georgia Power encourages its customers to use online tools to help manage their energy such as the My Power Usage program, a free service connected to many Georgia Power online accounts that allows customers to track their daily energy use, project their monthly bill, and set daily or monthly usage alerts.
Customers can take advantage of the company’s free Online Energy Checkup. The 15-minute quick and easy service provides a customized report to help customers understand their energy use and find ways to save money where you can use your actual power bills to give you a customized report. You will enter information about your home and family to measure how you use energy. Whether customers own a home or rent, tailored tips are available at www.GeorgiaPower.com/Save, which also includes access to a variety of rebates and incentives for both homes and businesses. Energy efficiency measures for customers include continued development and implementation of new plans and programs approved in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan.
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Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health
The death count in Cobb County from the Coronavirus has risen by six in the last two days, to 23 as of Saturday evening.
The Georgia Department of Public Health daily status report at 7 p.m. indicated a total of 6,383 cases of COVID-19 and 208 deaths across the state.
That’s a death rate of nearly three percent, and the 1,266 hospitalizations represent a rate of nearly 20 percent of those who contract the virus.
Cobb’s 23 deaths are the third-highest in Georgia, behind Dougherty County’s 30 deaths and 26 in Fulton County. A total of 453 positive cases have been confirmed in Cobb.
Fulton now has 959 confirmed cases, Dougherty 685 and DeKalb County 539.
A total of 26,294 people have been tested in Georgia, although public health officials statewide and in Cobb have said that the availability of testing kits remains limited.
In Cobb County, the average age of those who’ve died from the virus is 69.4 years old. The two youngest victims were a 33-year-old male and a 36-year-old female with underlying medical conditions.
Cobb County heat map of Coronavirus cases as of March 30.
The oldest victim was an 87-year-old man, also with other health issues. Thirteen of the 23 Cobb victims were age 70 or older.
The Georgia DPH does not further break down below the county level where the victims lived. Earlier this week Cobb and Douglas Public Health Director Dr. Janet Memark showed a heat map that she said is not exact, but the cases appear to be spread out fairly evenly through the county.
Like many more cities, counties and locales across the country, Memark said the spike in the number of cases and deaths reflects widespread community transmission.
A Georgia shelter-in-place ordered by Gov. Brian Kemp went into effect at 6 p.m. Friday and continues through April 13.
A Cobb declaration of emergency issued last week through April 15 is being extended through April 25.
At a briefing Tuesday before the Cobb Board of Commissioners, Memark said the number of of people being tested daily at a drive-through facility at Jim Miller Park is only around 50. High-risk individuals, who are medical workers, first responders and those with a referral from a doctor, are the only ones able to get tested this way.
She said that there were 37 ventilators available and was concerned about a very high number of those in senior-living and long-term care facilities in Cobb, totalling 5,950 beds.
As more people get tested, she said the number of cases and deaths will continue to rise, but “my hope is we’re at or near the peak.”
Memark and deputy director Lisa Crossman strongly stressed shelter-in-place and social distancing tactics to reduce the spread of the virus, given those factors, and urged that public parks remain closed.
Cobb parks had been closed before the emergency declaration, and public pools also will not be opening anytime soon, with the spring almost here.
Among the businesses ordered to close in the amended emergency declaration are private gyms and fitness salons, due to the close proximity of patrons.
Lisa Crossman, Memark’s deputy director, said “taking baby steps does seem to prolong the pain” of having to proceed with restrictive measures.
Commissioner Lisa Cupid thought that allowing non-essential businesses to remain open while ordering a shelter-in-place was sending a mixed message to the public.
She and Commissioner JoAnn Birrell also were curious about how the county was going to force the mandates.
Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said “it’s bad public policy to arrest people.
“We’re in a whole new area,” he said. “We have to be sympathetic to people” who are having to hunker down in their homes, and practice social distancing when they’re out in public.
“A vast number of people in this county are complying with the emergency order,” Boyce said.
The few who do not, he added, “will get their just desserts,” in terms of possibly being exposed to the virus, among other things.
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We noted previously that the Cobb Community Foundation has begun a Community Response Fund that’s raising funds and issuing grants to a number of community service organizations specifically dealing with the effects of the Coronavirus crisis for vulnerable populations.
They’re also letting donors know that many of those organizations can receive direct support, including the delivery of health care services:
The Center for Family Resources has received a $10,000 charitable grant to support the financial needs of families impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s part of a larger effort by CFR, now in its 60th year, which has launched a 60 in 60 program to raise $60,000 in 60 days to provide emergency financial assistance.
Also getting $10,000 grants from the CCF are the Cobb Schools Foundation, which has identified 1,000 students and families needing digital devices for distance learning at home, and Ser Familia, that works with the Latino community.
Some more resources, provided in the bullet points below by the office of Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell:
Cobb Senior Services is working hard to help its at-risk clients. As the COVID-19 outbreak continues for the unforeseen future, the list of needed donations has been updated to include toiletries. These seniors have no family or other community support to help them get the necessary items. To view the listed of donation suggestions, click here. Please call Merline Tippens at 770-528-5355 with questions and to make arrangements for your delivery to the Senior Services administrative offices at 1150 Powder Springs St, Marietta.
Cobb County Community Services Board (CCCSB), Behavioral Health Crisis Center (BHCC), located at 1758 County Services Parkway, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis. For more information about Cobb County Community Services Board, please visit www.cobbcsb.com.
Any organizations delivering meals or otherwise providing food should contact Cobb Community Foundation at 770-859-2366 or email CCFTeam@cobbfoundation.org.
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The Cobb outdoor burn ban that runs from May 1-Sept. 30.each year has been moved up due to the statewide shelter-in-place order. The ban now will start next Friday, April 10.
Here’s more from the county:
Leaves, pine straw, and other yard debris may NOT be burned starting that date, and the Fire Marshal’s Office will also stop the issuance of Large Yard Waste and Bonfire permits during this time. Please note there is no ban on fire bowls, chimineas, or similar devices as long as clean wood (not pressure treated, and no varnish) is being burned.
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The Avenue East Cobb management announced late Friday afternoon that its stores that are non-essential will be closed through April 13, due to the Georgia shelter-in-place orderissued by Gov. Brian Kemp.
The order begins is effective from 6 p.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. April 13.
“Select restaurants” at The Avenue will remain open, with takeout, pickup and delivery service only. They are Kale Me Crazy, Olea Oliva, Menchie’s, Panera Bread, Smallcakes and Tin Lizzie’s.
Other restaurants at The Avenue, including Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar and Stockyard Burgers & Bones, closed before the state order and a Cobb state of emergency declaration that goes through April 24.
The Michael’s craft store and the Simply Mac Apple computer store will remain open with reduced hours.
Non-essential “personal touch” businesses have been ordered to close, although many in East Cobb—hair salons, spas, barber shops, etc.—had already closed before that order.
During the shelter-in-place period, citizens are asked to stay at home, except to do essential shopping for groceries, food and medicines, to help with the care of children and the elderly in their families and act on behalf of the health and safety of those in their households.
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The district has been keeping a running update at this link, and the following are the important bullet points added about grades, etc., at all school levels:
No students’ grades at the end of the second semester can be lower than the grades received on Friday, March 13, 2020.
Give students a choice to accept their grades as of Friday, March 13, 2020 as final grades for 2019-2020 OR continue to earn grades for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year to improve their grade(s).
Report grades as pass/fail for all students in all K-8 courses. High school courses will be reported as grades for GPA calculation purposes.
Continue to provide academic, emotional, and social support for student needs for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year.
Allow work submitted after March 13th to be used for grades or to measure what students know. Specific directions will be provided by your principal. Any work submitted will only have a positive impact on a student’s grade(s).
Allow any student who was on track to graduate on Friday, March 13, 2020 to receive credit for all courses for which they were enrolled on or before March 13th.
That guidance, the district said, is based on recommendations from the Georgia Department of Education.
Cobb Board of Education member Charisse Davis, who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters, said in her e-mail newsletter Friday that “our efforts to move school to home should not be additional stress for our families nor the teachers. Please just do your best and we acknowledge that that will look different for each family.”
The district also indicated it was “actively evaluating all options related to graduation ceremonies,” but didn’t indicate what those options might be.
Next week is spring break, and the district had announced earlier there will be no distance learning next week.
“We often wish that we could have school for the sake of learning and we now have an opportunity to have great discussions with our kids as you make decisions as a family on how to proceed in individual classes. Regardless of whether your child chooses to improve their grade(s) or take their grade(s) as of March 13, the skills, curriculum, and learning opportunities they are exposed to will benefit them in future courses. Teachers can notify your child of their grade as of March 13. All graded assignments added to the gradebook after that date will only benefit the student’s overall final average. Any assignment not submitted after March 13 will be left blank in the gradebook. We will continue to instruct and assess until grades close out on May 20.”
He said starting the week of April 13—when spring break is over—digital learning will be reduced to four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesdays are for students to catch up on classwork and for teacher planning.
He also expressed sorrow for the Lassiter seniors who won’t be having a traditional commencement exercise:
“How do we say goodbye to 500 plus seniors to let them know how much we all appreciate their work, their community service, and celebrate them as the graduating class of 2020? We all truly hurt for our seniors who were looking forward to so many awesome Lassiter senior traditions. How do we properly end the school year for our exceptional freshman, sophomore, and juniors and let them know how much we are all looking forward to their leadership next school year?”
One more thing he noted, and the district has stressed this as well, is to consult the Emergency Crisis Hotline for those having difficulties adapting not only to the new learning process, but in coping with the effects of the Coronavirus crisis.
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Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce on Thursday extended an emergency declaration he ordered last week until April 24, ordered certain non-essential businesses to close and clarified the county’s “shelter in place” provisions.
Grocery stores and other essential businesses also must follow further guidelines to observe social distancing measures to help prevent the spread of Coronavirus.
Effective immediately, the following types of businesses must close:
Gyms, fitness and recreation centers;
Hair salons;
Barber shops;
Nail salons;
Waxing salons;
Tanning salons;
Spas;
Tattoo parlors;
Massage-therapy establishments and massage services;
All other nonessential businesses in which “social distancing” minimums of six feet between persons cannot be maintained at all times.
Many of those kinds of businesses in East Cobb—commonly called “personal touch” businesses—closed before Boyce’s emergency declaration last week, which initially was scheduled to last until April 15.
But in his order Thursday, (you can read it in its entirety here), Boyce said more businesses that stay open need to do more to help combat the contagious virus and more time needs to transpire for social distancing and other guidelines to have an effect.
Cobb’s confirmed Coronavirus case count now stands at 320, with 17 deaths, and both of those numbers are among the highest in Georgia.
In his order, Boyce also expanded the emergency declaration to require families and individuals to shelter in place at their homes, except to purchase food and to take care of the health and safety of those in their households.
They can leave to work at businesses that are deemed essential during the emergency, to go outside for exercise while maintaining social distancing guidelines, and to visit immediate family members to help with child care or elderly care.
“I want to make absolutely sure that all of our measures help slow the spread of the virus,” Boyce said in a statement released by the county late Thursday afternoon. “Our healthcare system in the county still has capacity, still has available ventilators, so it is important rather than filling those beds and using those ventilators we take all necessary measures to not use up those resources.”
Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health
Essential retail businesses that stay open, including grocery stores, will have to post signage and provide public-address updates outlining and reminding customers of social distancing mandates.
Those include maintaining a distance of least six feet between people, discouraging those who are sick from coming to the stores, and coughing into a tissue instead of the open air.
Stores must also regularly disinfect common areas and provide cleaning and disinfecting products in employee areas.
Those businesses also are being encouraged to provide “contactless” points of interaction and purchase, including placing plexiglass around cashier stations (this is happening at Publix stores) and discouraging customers from bringing reusable bags.
Grocers also are being told not to offer product samples and to prevent customers from using self-service items that are food-related.
The other essential retail stores defined in the order include that “support repair or construction work for businesses and homes, and businesses that sell products to support persons working from home, including computers, audio, electronics, IT and telecommunications equipment.”
At a commissioners’ work session Tuesday, Cobb and Douglas Public Health officials urged that county parks remain closed. They were closed before the emergency declaration, and Boyce announced on Friday they would remain so at the direction of the county manager.
Some state parks also have closed, and most federal parks are closed, including the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area.
Also on Thursday, Gov. Brian Kemp provided details of a statewide shelter-in-place to take effect at 6 a.m. Friday. Georgia’s caseload and death count has risen dramatically in the last week, to 5,348 and 163 respectively, with nearly 20 percent of confirmed cases involving hospitalization.
Both Boyce and Kemp had been reluctant to shut down businesses, and the governor had come under increasing pressure, with only a few states not already having shelter-in-place orders.
The order he signed Thursday restricts all business and other activities to 10 people or less, observing social distancing measures. Families and individuals must also shelter-in-place except for essential travel and business or immediate family reasons.
Those businesses or operations not deemed to be part of the “critical infrastructure” will be limited to what the order calls “minimum basic operations,” also following social distancing and hygiene and sanitation practices.
Other “personal touch” businesses also must close, including bowling alleys, cinemas and live performance theaters.
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The Georgia Department of Public Health is gradually revealing more details about those who contract and die from Coronavirus.
As of noon Thursday, the number of people in the state who’ve died from COVID-19 was 163, with 5,348 confirmed cases. The number of hospitalizations is 1,056, a rate of nearly 20 percent.
Cobb County remains among the hotspots in Georgia, with 320 cases and 17 deaths, along with Fulton, DeKalb and Dougherty.
A new statistical line being provided now is a breakdown of those who’ve died from the virus. The report indicates the age and sex of each person, and whether they have any underlying medical issues.
For the 17 Cobb victims, the average age is 72.3 years, and 13 of the deceased are males. The oldest was a 92-year-old woman, and the youngest was a 33-year-old man. The report states it’s unknown whether they had other medical issues.
Five are in their 80s, three are in their 70s, three are in their 60s and one is in his 50s. The age of one of the Cobb victims is unknown.
Cobb COVID cases mapped out by Cobb & Douglas Public Health on March 30.
Various states have been providing different information to the public; in Georgia, the exact locations of victims below the county level generally haven’t been released.
But during a special meeting of the Cobb Board of Commissioners Wednesday, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, showed heat maps of the increase in COVID-19 cases over the month of March.
She said the heat maps are not exact, but the cases are spread out fairly evenly through the county.
Memark and deputy director Lisa Crossman stressed to commissioners that what they’re seeing is what’s occurring all over the country—widespread community transmission.
They’re asking for non-essential “personal touch” businesses to be closed, and for parks and pools to remain closed.
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce is expected to tighten the restrictions of a county emergency declaration he issued last week.
That may be superseded, however, by what happens statewide.
Later Wednesday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to announce details of a shelter-in-place order that takes effect Friday through April 13. Schools also have been closed for the rest of the academic year; the Cobb County School District is expected to provide further academic guidance on Thursday.
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Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday that public K-12 schools in the state of Georgia will be closed for in-person instruction for the rest of the 2019-20 school year.
He also said he would issue a statewide shelter-in-place order, effective Friday through April 13, to combat the spread of COVID-19.
UPDATED, Thursday, April 2: The details of the statewide shelter-in-place order can be found here, along with the extension of a state of emergency in Cobb County to April 24.
Shortly after Wednesday’s announcement, the Cobb County School District put out a notice that it would provide further academic guidance by the end of the day Thursday.
Cobb schools closed March 13, shortly before Kemp ordered a statewide closure at least through April 24.
The shelter-in-place order will formally be issued on Thursday, including more details about what those restrictions may entail.
Georgia is one of the few states that has not issued such an order. Other nearby states in the Southeast, including Florida, are starting to do so.
Earlier Wednesday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners heard recommendations by the top two officials of Cobb and Douglas Public Health to continue an emergency declaration until April 24 (it’s set to expire April 15) and to close “personal touch” businesses, like hair salons, barber shops and and personal care salons.
The emergency declaration limits the hours of non-essential businesses. Cobb and Douglas Public Health leaders also urged Cobb to keep parks and pools closed for now.
The number of Georgia’s confirmed COVID-19 cases have risen dramatically over the last week, to 4,638 as of noon Wednesday, with 139 deaths. Cobb is reporting 293 cases and 15 deaths, the fourth-highest total in Georgia.
Earlier this week, Kemp activated the Georgia National Guard to nursing homes, senior-living facilities and long-term care homes where COVID-cases have been confirmed.
On Monday the Sterling Estates senior community in East Cobb announced one of its residents had tested positive, and that all residents there are on lockdown.
During his press conference Wednesday, Kemp said state tracking models showed major increases in the rate of community transmission.
The same trends trends were occurring in Cobb, said Dr. Janet Memark of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, at Wednesday’s commissioners’ meeting.
The governor has been reluctant to order all but essential businesses across the state, since some areas of Georgia don’t have that many cases of the virus.
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Both Cazadores Mexican Restaurant (Johnson Ferry Road location only) and Mezza Luna Pasta and Seafood have reopened for takeout, curbside pickup and delivery.
Cazadores is open at 3165 Johnson Ferry Road from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., phone 770-641-8625. The Sandy Plains Road location is remaining closed for now.
Mezza Luna Pasta & Seafood (2100 Roswell Road) began takeout, curbside and delivery service Tuesday with a limited menu. Hours are Starting March 31, curbside pickup, takeout and delivery from a limited menu Monday-Saturday 5-10 p.m. and Sunday 12-9 p.m., call 678-214-5856;
On Friday, Marietta Coffee Company (1598 Roswell Road), will start walk-up and takeout orders daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., call 678-765-8885.
Williamson Bros. Bar-B-Q was among the restaurants that has closed and was planning to reopen Tuesday, but is saying now that a mid-April “grand reopening” is being planned.
Send Us Your News!
If your business closed and is reopening, please e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we will place it in our East Cobb Open for Business Directory. We want to help local businesses get back on their feet with this free listing!
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
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A few April events we’d normally promote on our Events Calendar are being called off, and we expect more to come in.
Among them is the Walton Chorus Spring Concert scheduled for April 21. All public schools in Georgia are closed at least through April 24.
According to the Walton Chorus Facebook page:
“We are hopeful that we will still sing these pieces and perhaps make in-class videos of these great arrangements to share once we return to school. Our student officers did a terrific job of coming up with this year’s theme and with song ideas. Hopefully, we will still be able to make this concert a reality, but perhaps in a different format.”
The organizers of the Pope Band Recycling Event slated for April 25 sent us word that that event too, is being cancelled.
We’re going to temporarily suspend updating our Events Calendar for the time being, until public outings are allowed to resume.
But, we do want to know if you have cancellations/postponements/reschedulings of events, so we can share them with the community.
Please e-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we will post those changes in our news blog as part of our continuing coverage of our community’s response to the Coronavirus crisis.
If your business closed and is reopening, please e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we will place it in our East Cobb Open for Business Directory (see the link below). We want to help local businesses get back on their feet with this free listing!
Contact us at the same e-mail address for news about efforts to assist those in need, health care workers, first responders and others on the frontlines of combatting Coronavirus in East Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The YMCA of Metro Atlanta announced13 of its locations across metro Atlanta stand ready to provide high-quality childcare services for first responders, hospital employees, police department staff and other frontline workers.
“Our childcare program is open to the brave individuals who are working to meet the needs of the community, including medical professionals, law enforcement, grocery workers, and others who cannot work from home at this time,” said Lauren Koontz, YMCA of Metro Atlanta president and CEO. “In many ways this is our moment to truly deliver on our promise of service to those who turn to us for community and to those who turn to us for survival.”
Childcare is available Monday through Friday from 5:30 am to 8 pm. at the below locations. Limited space is available. Those interested in enrolling their child can visit spiritonline.ymcaatlanta.org to login or register. Once a location has reached capacity, the registration system will indicate that it is full.
McCLESKEY-EAST COBB FAMILY YMCA
Ages 5–12
1055 East Piedmont Rd, Marietta, GA 30062
Parents are encouraged to drop off their child between 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. and pick them up between 5pm and 8 pm. No children will be allowed to be dropped off or picked up between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., except in the case of an emergency. Safety protocols set forth by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will be closely followed, and children and the person who drops them off daily will have their temperature checked upon arrival. Children with a temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher will not be allowed to stay.
Children are asked to bring a water bottle and their own peanut-free breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Children are also encouraged to bring books and homework to complete during the day. For more information, visit www.ymcaatlanta.org/firstresponders.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
On Monday Smita Daya delivered 45 meals she prepared for health care workers at the Wellstar East Cobb Health Park.
The owner of the Olea Oliva! gourmet shop at The Avenue East Cobb, is staying open for customers who want to shop for her variety of olive oils, vinegars, spices, teas and related artisanal products.
But she’s also donating her time and resources to give a boost to those who are working around the clock to tend to those sick with COVID-19.
Another East Cobb resident, Alison Estella, who runs Rua Marketing, a digital agency, is donating her services for a fundraising drive that also is helping to feed medical professionals, at Kennestone and elsewhere.
Her GoFundMe drive started last week with a goal of raising $5,000, and she told East Cobb News Monday the outreach has netted close to that.
On Tuesday, more than 40 meals were delivered to the Kennestone ICU.
Lunches provided by Smita Daya of Olea Oliva! to East Cobb Health Park workers.
But she’s not stopping now.
“We’re just trying to get Cobb County residents to donate,” said Estella, who’s also coordinated efforts to feed workers at the Wellstar North Fulton emergency unit and the Northside Forsyth Women’s Center.
The donations are used to place orders with several local restaurants, including Paradise Grill, XenGo Fusion Sushi and WZ Tavern in East Cobb (see video below).
When the meals are ready, Estella coordinates their deliveries to the medical locations.
“There’s a dual purpose here,” she said. Medical workers are fed, and “it keeps small businesses afloat. They need the business.”
Proceeds from the GoFundMe drive are also used to provide a 20 percent tip to the restaurant staffers.
“These guys are still alive, and they want to be able to pay their staff.”
What Estella ideally is looking for is not necessarily a few major donors, but many donors offering a few dollars in smaller amounts.
“This is so easy,” she said.
You can also nominate local essential medical facilities to receive the meals, and restuarants to prepare them.
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has launched what it calls its Operation Meal Plan, which also solicits donations. Restaurants provide meals to be delivered to various non-profit organizations around the county associated with the Cobb Community Foundation.
The selected restaurants include Kouzina Christos in East Cobb. Here’s more from the Chamber about how to get involved in that effort:
For restaurants interested in participating in Operation Meal Plan, contact Nate Futrell, with the Cobb Chamber, at nfutrell@cobbchamber.org and include the following information: point of contact for the restaurant, contact information and what the restaurant’s capacity is per meal request.
For non-profits in need of food for their clients, contact Melanie Kagan, with the Center for Family Resources, at MelanieKagan@thecfr.org. After non-profits and restaurants sign up to participate, Kagan will coordinate orders between the groups, scheduling all orders the day prior.
For community members, groups or organizations that would like to contribute to Operation Meal Plan, all contributions are made through the Cobb Community Foundation and are tax deductible. Contribute here: https://bit.ly/2QNq6aB. Upon service delivery, restaurants provide an invoice so the Cobb Community Foundation can reimburse the at-unit cost.
Send us your news!
Let us know what you, your neighbors or others you know are doing to help one another and those in need as part of the Coronavirus response.
Just e-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com with text, photos and other relevant information, and we’ll share it with the community.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Cobb County government is asking for the public’s help in collecting resources using its Geographic Information Service (GIS) mapping tools about grocery store inventories and open businesses during the Coronavirus crisis.
A message that’s been sent out explains the purpose, and asks that you submit what you see at grocery stores when you go shopping, or use an open restaurant for takeout/curbside/delivery service:
“We want to help as many Cobb businesses to survive as possible, and we’re using the power of the people to spread the word!
“Which restaurants are offering take out? Go to our special map and let others know which restaurants are cooking up take out orders. Visit it here.”
Other links to be found there include what customers are noticing in their stores from the previous 24 hours in terms of paper products, breads/foods, produce, and crowds/social distancing.
Thus far more than 400 people have filled out the survey, and results obviously will change frequently.
Here’s the link to survey about to available restaurant options, with answers also to be folded into a countywide data source.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Cobb County government is getting out word this afternoon that the Board of Commissioners will be holding another special called meeting Wednesday for an update on the county’s response to COVID-19.
The meeting is at 2 p.m. in the second-floor board room of the Cobb government administration building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), but the public is encouraged to watch via the following outlets:
Last week commissioners meet in a special called meeting (above, observing social distancing guidelines) at which Chairman Mike Boyce outlined his intent to declare a state of emergency.
He did so later in the day, through April 15.
Monday’s message about the Wednesday meeting wasn’t any more specific than a general update, and nothing further has been posted yet to the commission’s meeting agenda page.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Sterling Estates senior living community on Lower Roswell in East Cobb is reporting that it has a positive test for Coronavirus.
The Sterling Estates website posted a message Monday saying that a resident who reported abdominal pain on Thursday but did not have a fever was tested “out of an abundance of caution” and that the person’s test for COVID-19 came back positive on Sunday.
That individual remains hospitalized in stable condition, according to the Sterling Estates management, which continued:
“We are in regular contact with the resident’s family. It is critically important that we treat this situation with the utmost confidentiality. We must adhere to patient privacy laws but will be as transparent as laws allow. Please be assured that we can and will take the necessary steps to prevent any virus spread while also adhering to these laws.”
The posting also indicated that any staff members with known exposure to the infected person are being asked to self-isolate. That individual’s apartment is being cleaned and common areas of Sterling Estates also will be cleaned.
Residents have been ordered to stay in their apartments until further notice. Their temperatures will be taken twice a day and they will be provided in-room meal services.
Staff members will be wearing gloves and masks and will have symptom screenings three times a day, including a temperature check.
Numerous senior living facilities in Cobb and elsewhere have been taking measures to stop the spread of COVID-19 because older people are more vulnerable to the disease.
The Solana East Cobb on Johnson Ferry Road has moved into “full apartment quarantine,” according to a message posted on its website Saturday.
The facility is owned by The Arbor Company, which has imposed a company-wide policy that includes cancelling group activities and classes and delivering meals to each resident’s apartment.
Senior living communities in Marietta also have had positive test results.
As of noon Monday, 245 positive COVID-19 cases have been reported in Cobb County, with nine deaths.
In Georgia there are 2,809 confirmed cases and 87 deaths. Only Dougherty County (17) and Fulton County (14) have more deaths than Cobb.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
In response to school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic, the daily hours for availability of TutorATL’s online tutors expanded to 9 a.m.-11 p.m. TutorATL features personalized homework help and expert tutors in more than 50 subjects with bilingual offerings. On-demand access to tutors has doubled with morning and early afternoon sessions added.
Cobb County Public Library offers TutorATL for free to kindergarten-12th grade students with regular Cobb library cards or through Library Public Library Access for Student Success accounts. Library PASS accounts are offered to all Cobb County and Marietta City students. Student numbers are the keys to Library PASS access. For information, visit tutoratl.org.
Powered by Tutor.com, TutorATL is a service of ATL PBA and is made possible by the generous support of the Chick-fil-A Foundation.
Library PASS (Public Library Access for Student Success) accounts are offered to all Cobb County and Marietta City students. Student numbers are the keys to Library PASS access.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
