PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR: BE AWARE OF YOUR SURROUNDINGS OVER THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND

There will most definitely be more in-person gatherings over Memorial Day weekend in 2021 than there were in 2020. Dr. Gary Voccio, Health Director of the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Northwest Health District, says that revelers should be aware of their surroundings over the holiday weekend in order to prevent possible exposure to coronavirus. However, he indicates, individuals who are fully vaccinated are at very low risk of getting the virus, particularly if attending an outdoor gathering.

Dr. Voccio adds that the elderly and individuals that have underlying medical conditions should especially remain on alert.

A total of 486 new cases of coronavirus and 35 more virus-related fatalities were reported across Georgia on Thursday by the state Department of Public Health.

According to the latest update by the DPH issued just before 3 pm, there have been 894,892 confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide since the beginning of this pandemic. The state’s death toll currently stands at 18,021. The number of confirmed cases totaled 10,069 here in Floyd County, which has also had a total of 193 fatalities. Gwinnett County has had the most confirmed cases in the state with 87,409. Fulton County has had the most deaths with 1,309.

As of the most recent update to the vaccine dashboard Thursday, 7,156,518 of the vaccines have been administered across the state; 39 percent of Georgians have received at least a dose of the vaccine, while 32 percent have been fully vaccinated.

Get more information about COVID-19 and vaccination in Georgia from the state Department of Public Health website at www.dph.georgia.gov.