September 2, 2022 Update

As of May 2022, this newsletter is sent to subscribers only on an irregular basis with significant local COVID-19 updates and news. It will be sent weekly when ACC is designated as a High COVID-19 Community and will also be sent when ACC's level changes. It will not be sent out weekly when the community remains in Medium or Low levels.

High COVID-19 Community Level in Athens-Clarke County Continues Mask Requirement, Other Measures

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has continued to keep Athens-Clarke County's COVID-19 Community Level as High in its latest data report on Thursday, September 1, 2022. The report, which is updated weekly on Thursday nights, previously reported Athens-Clarke County's COVID-19 Community Level move from Medium to High on Thursday, August 25.

Based on the Mayor and Commission's extension of a local declaration of a local state of emergency at their Regular Session on August 2, 2022, masks are required in public spaces and private entities, with some limited exceptions, regardless of vaccination status when Athens-Clarke County is in a high community level. 

Private entities must opt-in to the mask requirement as per an executive order from the governor. The current local declaration is scheduled to expire on September 7, 2022, unless renewed, amended, or rescinded by the Mayor and Commission.

The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government's (ACCGov) response policy requires all employees and members of the public, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face masks in any indoor, shared, or public ACCGov space and on Transit vehicles when Athens-Clarke County is in a period of high COVID-19 community level. Additionally, internal ACCGov operations during high community levels include capacity limitations for ACCGov buildings, in-person ACCGov meeting limitations, and distancing measures.

CDC looks at the combination of three metrics — new COVID-19 admissions per 100,000 population in the past 7 days, the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by COVID-19 patients, and total new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 population in the past 7 days — to determine the COVID-19 community level. 

New COVID-19 admissions and the percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied represent the current potential for strain on the health system. Data on new cases acts as an early warning indicator of potential increases in health system strain in the event of a COVID-19 surge. Using these data, the COVID-19 community level is classified as low, medium, or high.

For more information, visit www.accgov.com/coronavirus.