November 4, 2020 Update

ACCGov Service Updates - Planning Department & Bear Hollow Zoo

Planning Department Lobby Hours Extended

The Planning Department is extending hours of lobby operation and will now be open from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday-Friday. The main office is still closed to the public, but staff will continue to serve patrons through the window.

Staff will also be available during business hours to assist customers via email and phone. Customers submitting permits for review are encouraged to email, send through regular mail service, or submit to the Planning's Self Service Portal for staff review.

Contact the Planning Department at 706-613-3515 or visit www.accgov.com/planning for more information.

Bear Hollow Zoo Opens

As of October 27, Bear Hollow Zoo is now open daily from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. The limited hours provide staff with time to feed and care for the animals without having to interact with every visitor due to the design of Bear Hollow. For staff health, they will stagger shifts and attempt to isolate from visitors.

During the most recent closure, extra safety precautions were developed to protect both the animals and staff. This time has also allowed staff to learn from other agencies around the country for ways to be successful during COVID restrictions.

The decision to reopen last week is based on the improving health indicators, more national guidelines on operations, and public demand.

Prior to visiting, guests should note updated visitors guidelines.

Wear masks as per local requirements.
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.
Use the marked entrance into the Zoo and not the marked exit to keep the path one-way.
When spending time at a habitat, respect physical distancing guidelines.
Even with daily cleaning, limit touching of railings and surfaces.
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 for the safety of our guests.

Help us keep the Zoo healthy for the community. Contact Bear Hollow Zoo at 706-613-3580 or visit www.accgov.com/bearhollow for more information.

Georgia Department of Public Health Daily Status Report

Changes to COVID-19 Report

As of Wednesday, November 4, the infographic that ACCGov provides in this update and on social media from the GA Department of Public Health (DPH)'s Daily Status Report is undergoing some changes in its information and frequency.

These changes include now displaying:

7-Day Daily Case Average & the Previous Week's Average
New Confirmed Cases in the Past Week
New Deaths in the Past Week

The infographic will be created weekly on Wednesdays to align with UGA's data releases and releases from the GA DPH's Northeast Health District. If needed due to notable increases or other changes, updates and/or infographics will be sent out more frequently.

The Wednesday, November 4 update shows an increase of 169 positive cases and 2 deaths since Wednesday, October 28.

Cumulative case counts from February are no longer being displayed on the graphic. For reference, here are the cumulative numbers from the beginning of each month:

November 1 - 5,872
October 1 - 5,121
September 1 - 3,082
August 1 - 1,694
July 1 - 574
June 1 - 293
May 1 - 155
April 1 - 54
March 1 - 4

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. The Daily Status Report is available at https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19-daily-status-report.

Positive UGA COVID-19 Tests Reported Through DawgCheck - Week 12 (Oct. 26 - Nov. 1)

The University of Georgia DawgCheck tool gives members of the campus community the ability to self-monitor and to facilitate information sharing internally and with the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). Any student or employee with a positive COVID-19 test is required to report the test in DawgCheck.

Last Five Weeks of Tests

DawgCheck Reports: Positive COVID-19 Tests by Week

Visit the UGA Health Center Website with these graphs and other updates.

The table above reflects the total number of positive test results reported through DawgCheck each week. It is updated every Wednesday. Please note the following:

Positive tests reported through DawgCheck are from any of the approximately 50,000 faculty, staff, and students connected to the University of Georgia, whether located in Athens, extended campuses, extension offices across the state, or even other states and countries for students who elected to take online classes.
The totals may include reports from individuals who have not been on campus recently, there may be delays in reporting, and the totals may even include individuals who have recovered.
Therefore, the data does not serve as an accurate barometer of the current status of COVID-19 at any point in time at any one of UGA’s campuses.
For the week of October 26, as has been the case for several weeks, 60% of the tests in the “Other” category were performed in Athens-Clarke and adjoining counties and the rest were located elsewhere in the state. No students reported positive tests done outside of the state. Two instructional faculty reported positive tests.

DawgCheck and other University of Georgia-related COVID information is available at the University Health Center website at https://uhs.uga.edu/healthtopics/covid-19-health-and-exposure-updates.

Northeast Health District Weekly Report - November 2

The Georgia Department of Public Health's (DPH) Northeast Health District produces a weekly COVID-19 testing report for the 10-county district that covers Athens-Clarke, Barrow, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, and Walton counties.

Athens-Clarke County's page of the report is shown in the first of the two charts below, while the second one shows the previous week's report for comparison purposes.

Current and Previous Week's Reports

Northeast Health District County Report - Athens-Clarke County - Nov. 2

Northeast Health District County Report - Athens-Clarke County - Oct. 26

The newest weekly report for Nov. 2 was released on Wed., Nov. 4.

The report includes county-by-county information about:

Total number of PCR tests performed by all providers reported to DPH
Percent of total tested with positive results
Positive cases per 100,000 total population
Cumulative number hospitalized
Percent of positive cases requiring hospitalization
Cumulative deaths
Percent of positive cases who died
Deaths per 100,000 total population
Positive cases by race/ethnicity and age (from tests performed by the Northeast Health District only - does not include other providers)

While reports are dated on Monday and use data for the previous week, the reports will usually be posted on Wednesday due to the time required to assemble and confirm the report.

The report is available each week at: publichealthathens.com/wp/programs/infectious-disease/coronavirus-covid-19-information/athens-district-covid-data/

CARES Act: Financial Assistance with Rent | Utilities | Mortgage

Frequency of Updates

This coronavirus email / text update is sent weekly during normal weeks, usually on Wednesdays, 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.