COVID Update: 10 new local cases, 1 death
♦ The first death since Oct. 19 is reported in Gordon County.
While case counts continue to dwindle, Gordon County has seen its first COVID-related death in a week.
From Tuesday through Wednesday, Gordon County had 10 new cases and one death. Statewide, there were 2,265 new cases and 163 deaths.
The lone death occurred on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The last deaths that occurred were a week prior on Tuesday, Oct. 19, when two people were reported to have died due to COVID by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
This comes as the FDA has continued taking steps to expand eligibility for the COVID-19 vaccine. An FDA advisory committee has voted to allow children ages 5-11 to get the twoshot series of Pfizer vaccines, at a lower dose than adults.
The vaccine is already authorized for use in those 12 and older. Once the FDA votes to amend the Emergency Use Authorization, a decision from CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky would be the last hurdle to clear before children ages 5 and older can be vaccinated.
More mandates are coming down the pipeline as the Biden Administration continues to work to control the spread of COVID. The administration has released a new international air travel policy that will affect both foreign nationals and U.S. citizens and residents in the near future.
Starting Nov. 8, foreign nationals traveling to the United States by air will be required to be fully vaccinated and provide proof prior to boarding with few exceptions. Acceptable vaccines include those approved or authorized by the FDA or with an emergency use listing from the WHO.
Individuals who are vaccinated, including US citizens and residents, will still need to show a negative COVID test within three days of traveling to the United States. Unvaccinated travelers will need to show a negative COVID test within one day of traveling.
There is positive news
coming out of the Georgia Department of Public Health. As of Oct. 25, 50% of Georgians were fully vaccinated, according to GDPH, while around 56% of Georgians had at least one dose.
“Having 50% of Georgians fully vaccinated is a positive step toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic in the state,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., commissioner. “However, COVID-19 continues to spread in Georgia, particularly in areas of low vaccination rates, causing severe illness and death – deaths that are preventable.”
Toomey urges all eligible Georgians to get vaccinated to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to save lives. Individuals who remain unvaccinated leave themselves
— and their children, families, loved ones, and communities — vulnerable to infection.
To schedule a COVID-19 vaccine or booster appointment, log on to dph.georgia. gov/covid-vaccine or call 888457-0186 for the Health Department Vaccine Scheduling Resource Line. The Gordon County Health Department, 310 N. River Street, Calhoun, is now offering flu shots on a walk-in basis.
Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, or those who have been in close contact with an individual with COVID-19, should be tested regardless of vaccination status. At DPH/Mako Medical test sites, testing is free of charge.
To find a COVID-19 test site, log on to dph.georgia. gov/covidtesting.