October 27, 2021 Update

Booster Doses Authorized for Moderna and J&J COVID Vaccines

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and health districts throughout Georgia began offering booster doses of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (J&J) COVID vaccine Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021, pending guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These boosters are in addition to previously approved booster doses of Pfizer vaccine.

For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial 2-dose series:

65 years and older
Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings

For people who received the J&J COVID vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.

Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others, may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.

Not all types of vaccine will be available at all sites. For information about COVID vaccines or to schedule a vaccination appointment visit dph.ga.gov/covid-vaccine or vaccinefinder.org.

More than 50% of Georgians remain unvaccinated for COVID-19, leaving themselves – and their children, families, loved ones, and communities – vulnerable to infection. DPH urges all eligible Georgians to get vaccinated to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia and to save lives.

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

Positive UGA COVID-19 Tests Reported Through DawgCheck - (Oct. 18-24)

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 October 18, there were 27 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 October 18 include a total of 256 clinical tests, with 7 positive results, for a positivity rate of 2.7%.
Results of asymptomatic testing: 628 tests were conducted with 8 positive results for a positivity rate of 1.2%.

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 - October 27, 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 3:15 PM on October 27, 2021, the dashboard shows:

66 confirmed cases in October 2021 (58 on Oct. 20 report)
307 confirmed cases in September 2021
83 confirmed cases in the past 30 days (128 on Oct. 20 report)
14 new confirmed cases in the past two weeks (38 on Oct. 20 report)
0.6% of students and staff with confirmed cases in the last 30 days (0.8% on Oct. 20 report)
0.3% of students and staff currently in quarantine (0.5% on Oct. 20 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)

Wednesday, October 27
7th Day Adventist Church
429 Epps Bridge Parkway
1:30-5:30 PM

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