January 5, 2022 Update

Mask Requirement in Athens-Clarke County Continues

The 25th local declaration of emergency approved by the Mayor & Commission on January 4, 2022 continues to include a mask requirement.

The local emergency order currently includes a mask requirement in public spaces and private entities.
As per a statewide executive order issued by the governor, private entities must opt in to the requirement.
As per the local order, the mask requirement is enforced when the case rate is over 100 per 100,000 in the last 7 days per the CDC.
As of January 5, 2022 the case rate is 1,153 per 100,000 in the last 7 days.

Northeast Health District Drive-Through COVID-19 Testing Site Relocates to Holland Park

In order to meet increased demand for COVID-19 testing, the drive-through testing site operated by Mako Medical in partnership with the Northeast Health District and the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government has relocated. The testing site had been operating out of the fire station on Mitchell Bridge Road, but as of Monday, January 3, the testing site operates out of Holland Park, located at 250 Vincent Drive in Athens.

Testing hours are Monday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

There is no out-of-pocket cost for COVID-19 testing at the Holland Park location. Insurance information is requested if available, but insurance is not required and there is no cost to the person being tested, regardless of insurance status. Pre-registration is highly encouraged prior to arriving at the testing site to reduce wait times.

Anyone wanting to be tested can pre-register by visiting northeasthealthdistrict.com/covidtesting.

COVID-19 cases have increased dramatically in recent weeks at the local, state, and national levels.

Vaccines slow the spread of COVID-19, reduce the likelihood of new variants, and are highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. With high levels of community transmission, wearing a mask in indoor public settings is also recommended, even for individuals who are fully vaccinated.

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

Positive UGA COVID-19 Tests Reported Through DawgCheck - (Dec. 27 - Jan. 2)

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 December 27, there were 171 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.
For the week of December 20, 2021, the University Health Center conducted a total of 193 clinical tests, with 68 positive results, for a positivity rate of 35%. UHC was closed the week of December 27, 2021.
Results of asymptomatic testing for the week of December 20, 2021: 813 tests (19% faculty, 36% staff & 45% students) had 95 positive results for a positivity rate of 11.69%. There were no surveillance tests conducted the week of December 27, 2021.

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 - January 5, 2022

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 6:00 PM on January 5, 2022, the dashboard shows:

114 confirmed cases in January 2022
49 confirmed cases in December 2021
32 confirmed cases in November 2021
69 confirmed cases in October 2021
307 confirmed cases in September 2021
154 confirmed cases in the past 30 days (48 on Dec. 29 report)
119 new confirmed cases in the past two weeks (12 on Dec. 29 report)
1.1% of students and staff with confirmed cases in the last 30 days (0.5% on Dec. 29 report)
No reporting data of students and staff currently in quarantine (0.1% on Dec. 29 report)

Clarke County School District COVID-19 Dashboard

Free COVID-19 Mobile Vaccine Events

Below are some upcoming opportunities for free vaccinations from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Northeast Health District (NEHD) at mobile locations. (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 for eligible participants
Vaccines for 5 to 11-year-olds are available at the county health department clinics – they may not be available via the mobile outreach events unless specifically noted.
Anyone under 18 years of age MUST have a parent present or a signed consent form.

None currently scheduled. See website for updates.

School COVID Vaccine Events

None currently scheduled (check site for updates)

Parents who wish to have their child vaccinated at a school-based event must return a signed consent form.

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.

If you have previously (on or after September 3) received your first dose at the Clarke County Health Department or one of their outreach events, you are still eligible for the incentive for your second dose at either mobile events or the Health Department.

Gift cards are available from the Northeast Health District to first-time vaccinated individuals only at mobile vaccination events.

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