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Jury Trials to Resume in March
As the Western Judicial Circuit initiates a return to jury trial proceedings, Chief Judge Eric W. Norris emphasizes the critical role residents play as jurors to ensure justice for all, while assuring them that extra precautions are being put into place to protect their health and safety.
We’re urging all residents to respond to the summons to be a juror, because the right to a trial by jury is fundamental to the American system of justice,” said Judge Norris. Juror summons are expected to go out in February with the expectation that jury trials will resume in March 2021.
Jury trials and most grand jury proceedings have been suspended in Georgia since March 14, 2020 when the Honorable Harold D. Melton, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia, first declared a Statewide Judicial Emergency in response to the spread of COVID-19. Since then, he has extended the emergency every 30 days, as state law permits.
In the September 10 extension order, the Chief Justice directed every county to establish a local committee made up of members of the judiciary to develop a locally-tailored plan for safely resuming jury trials. It is anticipated that the next extension order on March 9, 2021 will authorize the resumption of jury trials as local conditions allow.
The local committee for the Western Judicial Circuit, which is composed of Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County, is comprised of judiciary members, local public health experts. and county government officials.
The committee has identified the Classic Center, located at 300 North Thomas Street, Athens, Georgia 30601, as an alternative location for Athens-Clarke County jury selection and jury trials to safely resume. For Oconee County, the Oconee County Civic Center, located at 2661 Hog Mountain Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677, was identified as an alternative location for jury assembly to take place in a manner consistent with public health guidelines. Jury trials will still occur at the Oconee County Courthouse with appropriate social distancing guidelines.
The Western Judicial Circuit is dedicated to protecting the health of all prospective jurors, employees, and the general public. Specific protocols will be followed, including pre-screenings and temperature checks, practicing social distancing, mask requirements, and employing enhanced cleaning procedures throughout the day.
All court functions held at the Oconee County Civic Center and the Classic Center will be subject to the provisions of the Western Judicial Circuit Second Standing Order for Court Procedures During COVID-19 Judicial Emergency, which include safety guidelines consistent with public health guidance, security and health screening procedures, face mask requirements, and social distancing protocols.
For more information, including jury trial updates and a health and safety video, visit www.accgov.com/jury for Athens-Clarke County and www.oconeecounty.com/jury for Oconee County.
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CDC: Key Things to Know About COVID-19 Vaccines
Studies show that COVID-19 vaccines are effective at keeping you from getting COVID-19. Experts also think that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19.
But while COVID-19 vaccines can keep you from getting sick, scientists are still learning how well vaccines prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to others. So even after vaccination, we need to continue using all the tools available to help stop this pandemic as we learn more about how COVID-19 vaccines work in real-world conditions.
Although the vaccine supply is currently limited, the federal government is working toward making vaccines widely available.
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Feb. 24 Case Update for Athens-Clarke County
The Wednesday, February 24 update shows an increase of 141 positive cases and 7 deaths since Wednesday, February 17.
For reference, here are the cumulative numbers from the beginning of each month:
- February 1, 2021 - 11,162
- January 1, 2021 - 8,580
- December 1 - 6,732
- 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. |
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Positive UGA COVID-19 Tests Reported Through DawgCheck - Week 27 (Feb. 15-21)
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
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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.
- Since August 10, UGA has supported surveillance testing (Legion Field) for asymptomatic individuals and clinical (Health Center) testing resources for symptomatic students as a means of distancing the two populations and optimizing the use of Health Center staff and the facility. Because students are showing symptoms when they request a test at the Health Center, it is expected that it’s tests would have a significantly higher positivity rate than would be the case for those who are asymptomatic when tested. Results of testing at the University Health Center for the week of February 15 include a total of 191 COVID-19 tests; 9 were positive and 182 were negative. The positivity rate was 4.7%.
- For the week of February 15, 50% of the tests in the “Other” category were performed in Clarke and its 5 adjoining counties, and the remaining 50% were located elsewhere in the state. No students reported positive tests done outside of the state. Three instructional faculty members reported a positive test.
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. |
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Northeast Health District Weekly Report - February 22
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
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The newest weekly report for Feb. 22 was released on Wed., Feb. 24.
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)
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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.
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