Cobb COVID vaccine rollout Archives

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.