Moderna boosters available at all District 2 health departments
News, Press Release October 27, 2021
GAINESVILLE – Booster vaccine doses for the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for specific groups of fully vaccinated individuals. Although the booster dose is not required, it will help fully vaccinated people maintain protection over the coming months.
It is important to note, COVID-19 vaccines are working well to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death, but with the introduction of the Delta variant, public health experts noticed a reduction of protections against mild and moderate disease.
For individuals who received a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID vaccine, the following groups are eligible for a booster shot at 6 months or more after their initial 2-dose series:
• 65 years and older
• Age 18+ who live in long-term care settings
• Age 18+ who have underlying medical conditions
• Age 18+ who work or live in high-risk settings
For people who received the J&J COVID vaccine, booster shots are also recommended for those who are 18 and older and who were vaccinated two or more months ago.
Eligible individuals may choose which vaccine they receive as a booster dose. Some people may have a preference for the vaccine type that they originally received and others, may prefer to get a different booster. CDC’s recommendations now allow for this type of mix and match dosing for booster shots.
Appointments are not required. If an individual prefers to schedule an appointment, they may do so using the VRAS scheduling system via the District 2 Public Health website. Hours of operation and locations may change due to demand. Reference the schedule of locations and hours posted on the public health website to ensure the vaccine site in your county is operational.
For more information on the COVID-19 booster dose visit the CDC website to learn more.
COVID-19 vaccine moving off-site at some health department locations
Community, News September 20, 2021
GAINESVILLE – In anticipation of the upcoming flu season and to prepare for the approval of the COVID-19 booster dose for the general population, District 2 Health Departments will be re-opening some of its off-site COVID-19 mass vaccination sites.
Approval for the booster dose is still pending; however, starting Monday, September 20, Forsyth and Hall County will move to their designated off-site locations to begin administering Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines. The district will not administer booster doses until approval and guidance is granted by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and FDA.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) will await recommendations from the CDC and ACIP before releasing a plan to administer booster doses of Pfizer COVID vaccine in Georgia. The FDA’s discussion and review of data about the need for COVID vaccine boosters is a first step in the process; the same questions will be considered by ACIP during meetings currently scheduled for Sept. 22-23. When CDC/ACIP provide recommendations and guidelines for booster shots, DPH has the inventory to quickly ramp up access to Pfizer COVID vaccine statewide.
“We anticipate an increase in traffic in our health departments with the administration of both the COVID booster dose and flu vaccine,” said Dr. Zachary Taylor, District 2 Public Health Director. “By moving our COVID-19 operation off-site, we will alleviate the influx of people inside our waiting rooms.”
Forsyth County Health Department will operate its COVID-19 mass vaccination site at Northside Forsyth Hospital, Suite 360, located at 1200 Northside Forsyth Dr. Cumming, GA 30041.
Hall County will operate its mass vaccine site from the Chicopee Woods Agricultural Center, located at 1855 Calvary Church Rd., Gainesville, GA 30507.
The hours of operation for both sites are Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm and Saturday 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Appointments are not required. If an individual prefers to schedule an appointment, they may do so using the VRAS scheduling system via the District 2 Public Health website. Hours of operation and locations may change due to demand. Reference the schedule of locations and hours posted on the public health website to ensure the vaccine site in your county is operational.
For more information on the COVID-19 booster dose visit the CDC website to learn more.
COVID-19 testing event at Union County Farmers Market
Community, News August 30, 2021
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – The Union County Farmers Market is the location for a COVID-19 testing event from August 29 through September 2.
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University have partnered together for the research event. They will be testing people of all ages every day this week, Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Local officials are supporting the event and anyone who can participate in clinical research can attend. Participants will be asked for nasal swabs, oral swabs, and/ or saliva in addition to the COVID-19 testing.
People who participate will receive a $50 gift card as compensation. The Farmers Market is located off Hwy 76 on 290 Farmers Market Way.
The Farmers Market event for Tuesday is canceled. Regular activities will resume on Friday, September 3.
The recent COVID-19 outbreak in Union County has resulted in the Farmer’s Market changing the Labor Day schedule for this weekend. The tractor parade will be a tractor show and they will be exhibited toward the Hunter/England cabin.
The Agriculture Hall of Fame ceremony will be an announcement.
Union County Farmers Market is highly encouraging masks and for anyone not vaccinated to consider getting the vaccine. Last week, the FDA fully approved the Pfizer vaccine. Anyone 12 and older can receive the Pfizer vaccine. Moderna and Johnson and Johnson are expected to be approved within the next couple of months.
93 percent of the COVID-19 patients at Union General Hospital are unvaccinated. The local hospital is 160 percent overcapacity in the ICU.
Of the 64 inpatients at UGH, 46 are COVID-19 positive and a total of 72 percent of inpatients have been COVID-19 positive. 43 of those 46 were unvaccinated and 3 were vaccinated.
Union General Health System has cared for over 800 COVID-19 patients since the start of the pandemic. They are currently experiencing the largest surge in the community.
UCS trying to find best way forward against COVID-19
News August 30, 2021
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – Union County parents will have the choice of keeping their child at home for the next month as COVID-19 continues to spike in the community.
Last Friday, Union County Primary School was forced to close for the week because too many teachers were out due to COVID-19. The numbers in all schools continue to spike as the year progresses. Union County Schools (UCS) are navigating their way through a continually changing situation.
Parents can submit notes upon a child’s return to school and all absences between August 28 and September 24 will be excused. Students must complete assignments at home either through Google Classroom or teacher-approved methods.
It’s a stop-gap solution as the school system works to find a better option for teachers and students. Since school started on August 12, the number of cases has continued to quickly increase.
Superintendent John Hill stated they weren’t ready for “something being so fluid.” Last year, COVID-19 followed a more predictable model and students were largely unaffected. Additionally, virtual learning didn’t come naturally to every student. Some children didn’t participate or weren’t engaged like they would have been in a classroom.
Student online engagement’s an issue the entire country faced last year with some children not meeting reading and math standards as a result.
Hill hoped 2021-2022 would be a normal school year, but “it’s not going well right now.”
Around 70 percent of UCS quarantines who have gotten a COVID-19 test are coming back with positive results.
Since August 12, UCS has implemented eight changes to the COVID-19 mitigation protocol and cases continue to climb. On day one, the district positivity rate was .53 percent.
UCS COVID-19 positives and quarantines through August 27
As of the August 27 meeting, 5.85 percent of UCS students and staff were COVID-19 positive and 28.26 percent were in quarantine. Broken down by school:
- Primary School: 5.76 percent, 39 students, 10 staff, 145 quarantine
- Elementary School: 8.07 percent positive, 43 students, 14 staff, 144 quarantine
- Middle School: 5.87 percent positive, 40 students, 4 staff, 341 quarantine
- High School: 4.81 percent positive, 46 students, 4 staff, 344 quarantine
- Woody Gap: 0.00 percent positive, 12 students in quarantine
According to Assistant Superintendent Dr. David Murphy, UCS’s about a week behind the statewide data. The latest report from the Georgia Department of Public Health indicated cases among children are continuing to grow.
Statewide Positivity Rates
- 0-4: 9.9 percent
- 5-17: 16.7 percent
- 18-22: 15.1 percent
All these numbers are up from last week’s report between 1 and 3 percent.
“Things have to change. It’s a fluid situation,” Murphy added. “I would hope that we can continue to make decisions that keep our students and staff safe, provide a quality education, and as Mr. Hill will explain in a moment provide people with options that work best for them and their families.”
Moving Forward
Parents in attendance wanted the school to stay open because a structured environment is potentially safer than potentially being exposed outside elsewhere.
School board member and Union General Hospital (UGH) Chief Nursing Officer Julia Barnett agreed that keeping children in a controlled setting has proven beneficial in the past.
At UGH, they were treating 45 COVID patients between the ages of 23 and 80s. The average age is 58 years old, but the numbers change all the time. 93 percent of the patients at UGH are unvaccinated.
Barnett added that they are seeing more younger people get sick, but for the most part, they are bouncing back more quickly than older patients.
“We could consider not quarantining if they are fully vaccinated. You could consider not quarantining if they have a positive antibody test,” Barnett explained about potentially shrinking the number of quarantined students.
A negative test, however, could allow a potentially positive student or staff member to come back into the system too soon. The initial quarantine for close contacts is five days and depending on the date of the contact, the individual’s viral load might not be detectable by a test yet.
For instance, if the exposure occurred on Friday night and a person was tested on Saturday morning, it’s likely a COVID-19 test wouldn’t register the infection because the viral load is too little. Health officials recommend waiting between three and five days after the exposure to take a COVID-19 test. This way the viral load has a chance to build in one’s system. Symptoms usually develop within three to five as well.
UCS’s also highly recommending masks for its students, but they are not required at this time.
“I don’t think this is going to over real quickly. I hope this spike is,” Hill said. “We’re going to have to be reasonable like Julia said.”
The school’s actively working to determine the best course of action forward. There’s still a chance that at some point every school in Union County could close.
UCS has 165 additional students this year, bringing the total to 3,365. 168 students are COVID-19 positive.
Virtual Learning
A lot of parents have requested an online option for the school year, but as Principal Hussion told the room, “It can’t be what it was before.” Some children didn’t participate at all, and Union County teachers were instructing in person and online students. Not all teachers will be able to pull double duty without a virtual learning day for everyone.
Last year, Union County teachers had a Friday to develop materials for their online learners, but this year students and in-person five days a week.
“What you’ve talked about doing just to make it clear is to have an afterschool, kinda an afternoon option that will not be a burden on the teachers, unless they want to do that,” Barnett stated.
Hill confirmed that is what has been discussed, but nothing’s been finalized.
https://youtu.be/tG6xF-yCIis
Union County leadership pens letter regarding COVID-19 outbreak
Community, News, Press Release August 25, 2021
Where to get vaccinated in Union County
- Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 8:00 AM- 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM -4:00 PM
- Tuesday: 8:00AM-11:00 AM and 1:00PM-6:00 PM
- Friday is 8:00 AM-11:00 AM
COVID-19 cases among children in Union County
News August 23, 2021
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – As the Delta Variant spreads in Union County and Georgia, confirmed cases in children continue to outpace previous COVID-19 strains.
On August 12, Union County reported a total of 245 confirmed cases in the 0 to 22 age group. One week later, the Department of Public Health recorded 21 new cases for the age range. For comparison, the case change from the August 6 report to August 13 was nine.
Union County from July 31 to August 13 documented 59 new cases total and has recorded 2,361 cases since last year.
The Delta Variant is highly contagious. Health professionals have compared its transmission rate to chickenpox spread. The number of COVID-19 cases in children jumped over 1,100 percent when Delta hit Georgia.
“In a completely unmitigated environment—where no one is vaccinated or wearing masks—it’s estimated that the average person infected with the original coronavirus strain will infect 2.5 other people,” Dr. F. Perry Wilson, a Yale Medicine epidemiologist, says. “In the same environment, Delta would spread from one person to maybe 3.5 or 4 other people.”
Several schools started back at the beginning of August, and the virus spread is evident. Union County Primary had to close its building for this week because too many teachers were out sick. UCS 2021-2022 school year started on August 12. The previous week Towns County Elementary closed for the same reason too many ill staff.
The Department of Public Health (DPH) keeps track of COVID-19 in children and release school-age data each week. A breakdown of Union County’s 14-day case rate for children indicated significant increases in the school-age group.
8/12 Union County Case Report
- 0-4 – 1 case
- 5-17 – 9 cases
- 18-22 – 3 cases
- 23+ – 73 cases
8/20 Union County Case Report
- 0-4 – 5 cases (+4)
- 5-17 – 17 cases (+8)
- 18-22 – 8 cases (+5)
- 23+ – 115 cases (+42)
While DPH doesn’t provide a county-by-county breakdown of hospitalizations, it includes statewide data on the topics. These reports come out every week and cover two weeks of data.
DPH COVID-19 in Children graph
Emergency room visits related to COVID-19 in children are spiking along with respiratory-related visits. However, hospitalizations appear to have taken a turn downward in most age groups.
Statewide the 5-17 age range is facing the most significant spike in the school-age report. When broken down, 5-10 and 14-17 are experiencing a laboratory higher case rate than 11-13. It’s unclear why from the information provided by the DPH.
Union County Schools COVID-19 Procedures
Union County Schools have procedures regarding positive cases, close contact, quarantine, isolation, and seating charts to try and keep its students safe.
A close contact student, who’s within three feet of a positive case, must quarantine for five days.
Positive students must quarantine for ten days and may return to school after symptoms end or 24 hours without a fever or fever-reducing medicine.
None of these students can participate in extracurricular, after-hours, or athletic activities.
Potentially exposed employees can still work under the essential worker status. If they exhibit any COVID-19 related symptoms, they must inform their supervisor, and essential worker status will be revoked. These individuals must quarantine for ten days from the onset of symptoms.
For the time being, the parents can decide on the necessity of a mask. On Friday, August 20, Assistant Superintendent Dr. David Murphy told FYN that a mask mandate is a “diametrically opposed issue. Families have determined what they feel is best for them. We believe that wearing a mask is the parent/student’s right to choose.”
Additionally, Murphy explained the elementary, middle, high, and Woody Gap Schools aren’t experiencing the same staff absenteeism as the primary school.
COVID-19 K-12 breakdown from DPH
The Primary had nearly four times the percentage of teachers absent than its closest school by comparison. They simply didn’t have enough staff to operate the building effectively.
Pfizer vaccine was fully approved for individuals who are 16 and older on Monday, August 23. Children 12 and older can also receive a vaccine under emergency use authorization.
Children younger than 12 haven’t been cleared to take the vaccine yet. It’s currently undergoing testing.
Masks again required in Towns and Union Courthouses
News August 23, 2021
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – Enotah Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Raymond George issued a mask requirement for all visiting the courthouses in Union, Towns, White, and Lumpkin Counties.
The mandate will be in place at least until the Delta Variant wave of COVID-19 abates in the area. The order begins on Monday, August 23, 2021.
All who enter the courthouses will be required to wear backs and have their temperature checked.
In the last two weeks, the Department of Public Health has reported 72 cases in Towns, 146 cases in Union, 253 cases in Lumpkin, and 266 in White. Each county is listed as a high transmission area.
Local hospitals continue to report that their hospitals and ICUs are filled with COVID-19 patients.
Last week, Governor Brian Kemp issued an executive order preventing local governments from imposing COVID-19 restrictions on businesses. However, school districts have the power to determine what measures work best for them.
Towns Elementary and Union Primary had to close their buildings for a week after experiencing significant spread throughout the staff and some students.
Anyone experiencing a COVID-19 related system, such as fever, cough, fatigue, should consider being tested for the virus. The Pfizer vaccine received full FDA approval for 16 and older on Monday, August 23. The vaccine is not yet approved for children younger than 12 even for emergency use.
Currently, Towns and Union County have higher vaccination rates than Lumpkin and White. 50 percent of Towns County has received at least one dose of the vaccine with 46 percent fully vaccinated. Union County is 42 percent fully vaccinated.
White and Lumpkin are 31 and 30 percent fully vaccinated.
Some breakthrough cases have occurred with the vaccine, but most of those patients are reporting less severe symptoms and not requiring hospitalization. Around 90 percent of hospitalized cases are individuals who weren’t vaccinated.
The health department, CVS, and Ingles are all offering COVID-19 vaccines. At some locations, an appointment isn’t necessary to get the vaccine.
Union County Primary must close due to Covid-19 outbreak
News August 20, 2021
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – Union County Primary School will close its building for a week beginning August 23 due to a substantial increase in COVID-19 cases.
A letter from Principal Shane Womack outlined the current situation among staff and students.
“We currently have 20.18 percent (22) staff absent, 3.18 percent (24) student positives, and 11.85 percent (85) students quarantines.”
The positive case rate and quarantine situations resulted in a struggle to keep the school open. There aren’t enough teachers and substitutes available.
For the week of August 23 through 27, Union County Primary will use online learning and classroom packets depending on the grade level. First and second graders will be online using Google Classrooms. If the student doesn’t have access to the internet, parents and guardians can stop by the Primary’s front office on Monday, August 23, to pick up a hot spot.
Pre-K and kindergarten will use the printed learning packet given to parents in the communication folder.
Parents are asked to monitor their children for COVID-19 symptoms.
See Principal Womack’s entire letter below:
Union County Schools (UCS) returned for the 2021-2022 year last week. Union County has been experiencing a significant spike in cases since the beginning of August.
School systems across North Georgia are feeling the effects of the Delta Variant. Gilmer County Schools issued stronger masking policies on Thursday, August 19, and Towns County Elementary closed for a week because of an outbreak.
Governor Brian Kemp stated earlier this week that he’s letting local school systems make their own decisions regarding masks and COVID-19 prevention.
Department of Public Health will be releasing new school-age data numbers today, indicating spread within children. In the August 13 report, the Union County cases in the 5-17 age range were marked as high transmission and increasing. Over a 14-day period, DPH recorded nine new cases for the age group. They gathered the data before children returned to school.
Union County Schools COVID-19 Protocols
Updated: Monday, August 23
The COVID-19 protocol as of Monday, August 23 highly encourages masks for students and staff to mitigate spread.
An email, [email protected] has been established to provide families to contact information. Someone on the COVID-19 response team will call the parent who sent the email. Confidentiality guidelines are also in place so only basic information such as name, phone number, and school are requested to receive a return phone call.
Positive students must quarantine for ten days and may return to school after symptoms end or 24 hours without a fever or fever-reducing medicine. Students within a 3 foot radius of a positive case will be required to quarantine for five consecutive days from last date of exposure.
Quarantine students can’t participate in extracurricular activities.
Any student within a 3 to 6-foot radius of a positive case will receive a courtesy call and asked to self-monitor for two weeks.
Potentially exposed employees can still work under the essential worker status. If they exhibit any COVID-19 related symptoms, they must inform their supervisor, and essential worker status will be revoked. These individuals must quarantine for ten days from the onset of symptoms.
These employees must wear a medical or N95 mask at all times aside from eating, drinking. They must also visit the school nurse for morning and midday symptom screenings. Meals will be eaten in an isolated setting.
UCS is making use of seating charts in classrooms to help identify potential exposures and quarantines. Teachers will sanitize their classrooms at least three times during mid-day cleanings. The custodial staff is disinfecting the buildings after school.
FYN will update this story as more information becomes available.
COVID-19 cases back on the rise in Union County
News August 10, 2021
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – As the Delta Variant reaches small communities, Union County’s experiencing a significant uptick in COVID-19 for the first time in months.
“Union County has seen 68 new cases in August as of today. Comparing this to other months, Union County saw 60 cases the entire month of July, 37 cases in June, and 41 cases in May. Union General Hospital currently has 37 COVID inpatients. This number exceeds the number of confirmed positive inpatients that the hospital cared for at any one time during the January 2021 COVID surge.” – statement from county government
According to Georgia Department of Health (DPH) Data, all North Georgia is again listed as high transmission communities as of August 9, 2021. The county indicator report, which comes out every two weeks, noted that from 7/24 – 7/30 25 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed. However, the numbers grew to 40 confirmed cases from 7/31 – 8/6.
The rise in cases began around July 27. Previously, Union was reporting between zero and two cases a day, but since then, COVID-19 cases have steadily been on the rise.
DPH counties with high transmission graph
Emergency Department visits are increasing as well with COVID-19 listed visits increasing by 5 percent from week to week. Respiratory-related emergency visits remained constant at 7 percent.
Union County agencies and the hospital does have procedures in place to help combat the surge in cases.
The statewide death rate doesn’t appear to match the recent surge in cases. However, this data takes a few weeks after the initial confirmed cases uptick to determine. Still, both numbers increase almost daily.
Health officials are urging the unvaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Union County officials also advocate for the vaccine. At this time, 90 percent of hospitalized patients are unvaccinated.
“Unfortunately, we can expect COVID numbers to keep growing. People who are unvaccinated or skip their second dose of vaccine are targets for infection,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. High vaccination coverage will reduce spread of the virus in your community and elsewhere – and help prevent new variants from emerging.”
Vaccination rates in Union County appeared to be stalled at 41 percent for fully vaccinated and 47 percent with at least one shot. The only mountain county with a higher percentage of the population vaccinated is Towns with 45 percent.
The COVID-19 vaccine is readily available. Many pharmacies are offering it by appointment and the health department will take walk-ins for the shot.
Some breakthrough infections of COVID-19 are occurring among the vaccinated, but it’s a small portion. According to DPH, of the 4 million fully vaccinated, 0.12 percent have tested positive and 0.00058 percent have died.
Courtesy of the Department of Public Health
The Delta Variant has proven to be more contagious than previous iterations of COVID-19. Some data on variant suggests more severe illness can result from infection than the original strain. According to the CDC, vaccinated individuals who experience a symptomatic breakthrough can transmit the virus to others. At this time, it’s unclear if an asymptomatic breakthrough can transmit it to others. Vaccinated people do appear to be infectious for a shorter amount of time.
The CDC recommends that everyone, even fully vaccinated, wear a mask indoors in high transmission areas.
Ask The Doc! Breast Implant Lymphoma and Throat Cancer
Lifestyle March 7, 2021
This morning, the doctors discuss Breast Implant Lymphoma. How common is it? Did the Surgeon make a mistake? The Doctors also touch on Throat Cancer of the Epiglottis. Is the treatment plan correct? The doctors also discuss Covid-19 and the vaccine. What’s True And What’s False? Which of the Vaccines is the most effective?
Ask The Doc! Types Of Breast Cancer And The Flu Season
Community February 28, 2021
This week, the doctors discuss the different types of breast cancer. They also touch on a question from a viewer regarding the treatment of their husband’s heart tumors. Is he getting the right treatment? What happened to Flu Season? What’s the latest on Covid-19? All this and more on Ask The Doc!
Union Fire/Rescue and EMA COVID-19 Response
Community, Press Release February 24, 2021
Ask The Doc: Long Term Effects of Surviving Cancer
Just For Fun, Lifestyle February 14, 2021
This week, Dr. Whaley and Dr. Raymond Tidman discuss some questions sent in by viewers. They touch on the long term effects of Cancer and some possible complications of surviving cancer. They also discuss how to know when you’re cured of cancer. Is there anyway to prevent future complications for cancer survivors? The doctors also discuss the current numbers of cancer survivors compared to in the past.
Ask The Doc! Gastric Bypass Complications And Sarcomas
Lifestyle January 31, 2021
This morning, the Doctors discuss Gastric Bypass Surgery and its complications. When is this surgery needed? What are its complications? They also answer a question regarding a Sarcoma. Dr. Whaley discusses why you shouldn’t google medical information. They also discuss the latest vaccine news. Who should be receiving the vaccine?
Ask the Doc! Cologuards and the Lance Armstrong Shot
Community January 24, 2021
Dr. William Whaley has returned for the new year and is ready to answer your questions about colonoscopies vs the Cologuard test and the other about Myelodysplasia and the Lance Armstrong shot.
UCS issues temporary mask mandate, suspends games for one week
News, Panther's Corner January 5, 2021
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – Given the sharp increase in COVID-19 cases, Union County Board of Education moved to heighten virus precautions in the classroom with a mask mandate.
Students returned to class today, January 5, from winter break. Previously, the school encouraged masks but didn’t require face coverings for students. Now all students and teachers must wear a mask except for eating or drinking. Children with medical excuses will receive appropriate accommodations, such as a face shield.
Students exposed to COVID-19 must quarantine for 14 days, and those not following the COVID-19 protocols will be sent home. The school enhanced social distancing and meal mitigations when possible.
Additionally, the nine-week requirement for online learning was suspended until case numbers go back down. If a parent or guardian doesn’t feel comfortable sending their child to school, they can participate in online learning until a parent deems it safe. Parents and guardians against the mask policy were asked to keep their child at home until the old policies are reinstated.
The data following the black vertical line depicts the recent rise in quarantines and confirmed COVID-19 cases in the school. The orange dotted line = student quarantines. The red line = student positives. The black dotted line = staff quarantine. The black line = staff positives.
The board decided to cancel athletic events for the week of January 4 to 9. Practices will still take place. Each week the athletic department will decide the game schedule and cancellations. Once games resume, attendance will be limited with a mask requirement in place for fans. The school’s looking into livestreaming events.
Board members agreed that face-to-face instruction must continue until it’s no longer feasible for the system. The current UCS update placed 30 staff in quarantine or positive for COVID-19. If the situation doesn’t improve, the district could move to online-only learning.
Newest board member and Union General Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Julia Barnett stated that she views schools as a controlled environment. By keeping children in schools, it’s easier to manage their environments and contact trace.
Several schools districts in the Pioneer RESA opted to go online only for the foreseeable future, including Rabun, Banks, Gainesville, Hall Hart, Lumpkin, Madison, and White. Pickens County announced its decision to close for another week yesterday.
Union County discussed canceling games with schools that were online only but allowing athletic activities, citing that if the district is too sick to attend in-person classes, then should they be traveling to play sports.
https://youtu.be/7u1UR8L7s-c