Calhoun 9/11 Patriots Day Parade
COVID update: 147 local cases, one new death
On Thursday afternoon, President Joe Biden announced sweeping COVID-19 vaccine mandates throughout the country.
The new mandates, enforced by OSHA, will require that employees of any business with 100+ employees either be fully vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. Federal workers as well as select healthcare workers will also be required to be vaccinated, without an option to test out.
At the same time, a new variant of COVID-19 has been found in all 50 states, including Georgia. The Mu variant appears to spread less easily than Delta, according to the WHO, however is still being monitored closely by public health officials due to concerns about vaccine efficacy.
From Friday through Monday, Gordon County had 147 new cases and one death. Statewide, there were 13,202 new cases and 252 deaths.
As of September 10, Gordon County Schools reported 25 cases in students and five cases in staff. Calhoun City Schools reported 47 cases in students and four cases in staff.
Case numbers have continued to steadily increase in Gordon County, as vaccination rates remain lower than both the national and state average. Locally, 39% of the population has received at least one dose while 33% are fully vaccinated.
Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or those who have been in close contact with an individual with COVID-19, should be tested. Those who test positive should self-isolate as per local guidelines and participate in contact tracing.
To schedule a vaccine appointment, log on to dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine or call 888-457-0186 for the Health Department Vaccine Scheduling Resource