Watch the Wed., June 24 Community Conversation on Youth & Child Needs

Watch a recording of this week's Community Conversation discussion of youth and child support during this time in Athens.

The June 24 Community Conversation included:

Mayor Kelly Girtz
James Ford (Eckerd Connects Paxen and Stong Base, Inc.)
Derrick Floyd (Athens Boys & Girls Club)
Wes Zwirn (Prodigies Child Care)

The Community Conversation is available on:

YouTube (www.youtube.com/accgov);
the YouTube app on mobile devices or TV systems by searching for 'accgov';
Facebook (www.facebook.com/accgov);
the ACCGov website (www.accgov.com/videos).

Programming note: Beginning in July, Community Conversations will take place monthly on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. The topics will vary and not just relate to COVID-19, which was the initial premise for Community Conversations. The next program is scheduled for Wed., July 22 at 6:00 p.m. on a topic to be announced later in July.

Bear Hollow Zoo Opens Monday, June 29 with Restrictions

Bear Hollow Zoo at Memorial Park will open daily starting Monday, June 29 under regular hours of 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. with some restrictions.

The community is reminded to follow these important guidelines for the safety of the public and zoo residents.

All guests are strongly encouraged to wear masks.
Please maintain physical distancing of 6 feet between each party.
Groups should not be larger than 10 people.
As recommended by the CDC, if you feel sick, please stay home.
Please use the marked entrance into the zoo and not the marked exit to keep the path one-way.
When spending time at a habitat, please respect physical distancing guidelines.
Even with daily cleaning, please limit all touching of railings and surfaces.
Animal protection: Some animals have been shown to be susceptible to coronavirus. Zookeepers are wearing masks, while guardrails have been placed to protect the animals.
The Reptile House and Photo Station will remain closed at this time.

Help keep the zoo healthy for the community by following these guidelines and measures.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/bearhollow or Bear Hollow Zoo’s Facebook page.

463 Positive Cases Confirmed in Athens-Clarke County, 15 Deaths

The state Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) case tracker (https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report) confirms 463 positive cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Athens-Clarke County with 15 deaths as of 3:00 p.m. on June 26.

The Daily Status Report is now updated once daily at 3:00 p.m. to allow time to process and validate laboratory and case reports.

If you view the data, please be sure to check the area showing the definitions of the information presented. Some have different meanings than what you may expect.

The 15 people who have died were ages 60-98. Eleven of those deaths occurred at a long-term care facility during March and April. For a daily report on long-term health care facilities in the state, visit the Georgia Department of Community Health’s website at dch.georgia.gov.

Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or diabetes are at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 and should always consult their healthcare provider if they are sick.

Food & Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Coronaviruses, like the one that causes COVID-19, are thought to spread mostly person-to-person through respiratory droplets when someone coughs, sneezes, or talks. It is possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object, including food or food packaging, that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes. However, this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.

Currently, there is no evidence to suggest that handling food or consuming food is associated with COVID-19.

After shopping, handling food packages, or before preparing or eating food, it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, cover all surfaces of your hands, and rub them together until they feel dry.

Remember, it is also always important to follow good food safety practices to reduce the risk of illness from common foodborne pathogens.

For more information, visit the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) "Food and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)" page at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/food-and-COVID-19.html.

Frequency of Updates

This coronavirus email / text update is sent at least twice a week, with other updates as necessary with important information.

Questions can still be directed to www.accgov.com/coronavirus, which will be updated regularly, the info line at 706-613-3333, or coronavirus@accgov.com.