September 1, 2021 Update

Northeast Health District - Georgia Department of Public Health

Athens-Clarke County COVID-19 $100 Gift Card Vaccination Incentive Program Kicks Off Friday, Sept. 3

Starting Friday, September 3, 2021 anyone who lives, works, or goes to school in Athens-Clarke County and has not yet been vaccinated against COVID-19 will be eligible for a $100 gift card when they get their first shot at the Clarke County Health Department or at other community-based vaccination clinics sponsored by the Northeast Health District in the county.

Eligible individuals receiving a two-dose series of the vaccine will get an additional $100 gift card when they get their second shot. Gift cards for Wal-Mart, Kroger, Dollar General, and other local stores will be available.

The gift cards are part of a plan to incentivize COVID-19 vaccinations in Athens-Clarke County, where only 41% of the population is vaccinated and where – along with the rest of the state – there has been a sharp increase in cases of COVID-19. Funding for the program was provided by the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government using federal American Rescue Plan funds.

The gift cards will be available starting September 3, which has been declared a state holiday by Governor Brian Kemp in order to promote COVID-19 vaccination. In support of the holiday and to kick off the incentive program, gift cards will be available at two community-based events that day:

Athens Housing Authority at 300 Rocksprings Street from 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
College Square Plaza in downtown Athens from 4:00-7:00 PM

To learn about additional upcoming events in the county, visit www.publichealthathens.com/covidvaccine.

While supplies last, gift cards will also be available on an ongoing basis at the Clarke County Health Department, located at 345 N. Harris Street in Athens. Only individuals who live, work, or go to school in Athens-Clarke County who receive their first dose on or after September 3 are eligible for the gift cards. To make an appointment at the Health Department, call 706-340-0996 or visit bit.ly/NEHDCOVIDVaccine.

For accurate and reliable information on COVID-19, visit dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

Registration for $1,000 Incentive Drawings for Current UGA Student, Faculty & Staff Members begins on Sept. 1

Last week, the University of Georgia announced additional incentives to further bolster participation in vaccination programs. Beginning September 1, any current student, faculty or staff member who has been fully vaccinated (two doses of Pfizer or Moderna or one of Johnson & Johnson) – whether at the University Health Center (UHC) or elsewhere – can submit their names to be in the running to win a cash prize of $1,000. A total of 100 prizes will be awarded.

The names of the first 50 winners will be drawn on Sept. 15, with another 25 to follow on Sept. 30 and again on Oct. 15. Individuals vaccinated in the coming weeks will be able to add their names to the pool as soon as they receive their second dose (or single dose of J&J). Winners will be required to validate the dates and locations of their vaccines.

Getting vaccinated is convenient and free to UGA students, faculty and staff at the UHC. Appointments may be booked online. Walk-ups are available at the Tate Student Center from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM on Sept. 2.

COVID-19 Cases, Admissions, Deaths & Vaccinations in Athens-Clarke County

Positive UGA COVID-19 Tests Reported Through DawgCheck - (Aug. 23-29)

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.

For the week of August 23, there were 457 reported positive COVID-19 tests through DawgCheck.

Last Five Weeks of Tests

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 do 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, 2020 UGA has supported surveillance testing 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 its 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 (symptomatic) for the week of August 23 include a total of 756 COVID-19 tests; there were 160 positive tests. The positivity rate was 21.2%.
Results of asymptomatic testing: 1519 tests were conducted with 77 positive results, for a positivity rate of 5.1%.

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.

Clarke County School District COVID-19 Dashboard - September 1, 2021

The CCSD COVID-19 Dashboard displays positive cases in the past 14 days and 30 days across the district and by each school, with hourly updates.

As of 5:00 PM on September 1, 2021, the dashboard shows:

502 confirmed cases in August 2021
32 confirmed cases in September 2021
527 confirmed cases in the past 30 days
253 new confirmed cases in the past two weeks
3.6% of students and staff with confirmed cases in the last 30 days
5.9% of students and staff currently in quarantine

Clarke County School District Case Count

Dashboard available at https://analytics.zoho.com/open-view/2089492000003337273.

Free COVID-19 Vaccine Events

Below are some upcoming opportunities for free vaccinations from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Northeast Health District (NEHD). (Schedules subject to change by NEHD - verify information on the NEHD website.)

No appointment needed
Walk-ups welcome
No insurance required
No ID required

Friday, September 3*
Athens Housing Authority
300 Rocksprings Street
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Friday, Septmber 3*
Downtown Athens
College Square Plaza
4:00-7:00 PM

* - The Athens-Clarke County COVID vaccine incentive program will begin on Friday, September 3. $100 gift cards are available for those who live, work or attend school in Athens-Clarke County and who receive their first vaccine on or after that date at the Clarke County Health Department or one of these outreach events (only events in Athens-Clarke).

Upcoming event listings are updated every Friday online on the NEHD website

Resources:

Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccines at bit.ly/NEHDCOVIDVaccine.
PublicHealthIsForEveryone.com
Clarke County Health Department on Facebook

Athens Housing Authority Vaccination Event - September 3, 2021

College Square Plaza Vaccination Event - September 3, 2021