Two new COVID-19 deaths in five days

♦ Gordon County also saw an increase of 174 confirmed positive cases of the virus during the same period.

Gordon County saw an increase of 174 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 and two new COVIDrelated deaths over the last five days, from last Thursday to Monday evening.

Statewide, there was an increase of 26,662 confirmed positive cases and 443 new COVID-related deaths in the same period.

As numbers continue to rise, the Georgia Department of Public Health is receiving offers from medical professionals and other individuals looking for ways to help with the COVID-19 vaccination response.

According to representatives with the department, the state’s health and medical volunteer program, Georgia Responds, is the best way for those folks to lend a hand. Through that program, the skills and credentials of medical and nonmedical volunteers are put to use slowing the spread of the coronavirus in Georgia.

Licensed medical volunteers including doctors, nurses, pharmacists and advanced EMS personnel (EMT Intermediate and above) are being put to work administering the vaccination.

Nonmedical volunteers may be used in administrative roles, where they would be responsible for registering individuals for vaccination, data input, language interpretation and providing guidance and assistance at vaccination administration sites.

To volunteer with Georgia Responds, log on to www.dph.georgia. gov/georgia-responds and click on the ‘Register Now’ box. Prospective volunteers will be asked for their name, address, contact information and occupation.

In order to be eligible for some assignments, responders are encouraged to complete a profile summary, which includes skills and certifications, training, medical history, emergency contact and deployment preferences. Once skills and credentials are reviewed, prospect volunteers will be notified by a DPH representative.

Even as the COVID vaccine becomes available, all Georgians should do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in their communities by wearing a mask, social distancing and by washing hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and water.

For information about COVID-19, visit www.dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.