September 29, 2021 Update

Georgia DPH Follows Federal Recommendations For COVID Booster Shots

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) will follow the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for COVID vaccine booster shots.

The recommendations for COVID vaccine booster shots are:

People 65 years and older and residents in long-term care settings should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer- BioNTech primary series
People aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series
People aged 18–49 years with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks
People aged 18-64 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine at least 6 months after their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series, based on their individual benefits and risks.

Only the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has been authorized as a booster dose, and the above recommendations will only apply to individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for their primary series.

DPH began administering booster doses at health department vaccination locations on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. DPH currently has adequate inventory of the Pfizer vaccine and will work to ensure accessibility to booster doses statewide.

DPH continues to stress the importance of vaccination for all Georgians aged 12 and older. Vaccination is our best tool to protect lives and stop the spread of COVID-19 in our state.

To find a COVID vaccination location, log on to dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.

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

Positive UGA COVID-19 Tests Reported Through DawgCheck - (Sept. 20-26)

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 September 20, there were 91 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 September 12 include a total of 484 COVID-19 tests; there were 21 positive tests. The positivity rate was 4.3%.
Results of asymptomatic testing: 1,158 tests were conducted with 19 positive results, for a positivity rate of 1.6%.

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 29, 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 4:24 PM on September 29, 2021, the dashboard shows:

300 confirmed cases in September 2021 (260 on Sept. 22 report)
503 confirmed cases in August 2021
335 confirmed cases in the past 30 days (419 on Sept. 22 report)
104 new confirmed cases in the past two weeks (145 on Sept. 22 report)
2.2% of students and staff with confirmed cases in the last 30 days (3.1% on Sept. 22 report)
0.1% of students and staff currently in quarantine (0.1% on Sept. 22 report)

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
$100 gift card incentive program now in place (see below)

None listed for Sept. 29 - Oct. 6 - check NEHD events website for updates.

The Athens-Clarke County COVID-19 vaccine incentive program provides $100 gift cards for those who live, work or attend school in Athens-Clarke County and who receive their first vaccine 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