Dr. Gary Voccio, the Health Director for the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Northwest Health District, is reflective as we approach the one year anniversary of the initial spread of coronavirus in Georgia. A pandemic such as this one has not covered the globe in over 100 years, says Dr. Voccio, who adds that public health officials have had a lot to learn in the past year.
The virus remains highly transmissible, indicates Dr. Voccio, who hopes that more people will roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated upon eligibility.
The Northwest Health District will cease its free COVID-19 testing with the closing of the Walker County site today. The goal is to focus its resources on vaccination efforts.
Confirmed coronavirus cases, hospitalizations, and fatalities have all declined in recent days around Northwest Georgia, as well as the positivity rate, states Dr. Voccio.