Just a few months ago, Gilmer County’s number of new COVID-19 cases was on the decline. Now, a sharp spike in new cases is being seen here and in several other nearby counties.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) daily COVID report, a total of 114 new cases were documented in Gilmer during the two weeks before Monday, Aug. 9.
During that time frame, 17 new positive cases were reported for the week of July 24-30. By the following week, July 31-Aug. 6, the number of laboratory positive cases had jumped to 70, also per GDPH data.
Those case numbers include both PCR tests, in which patients must wait 24-48 hours for lab results, and the quicker rapid or “antigen” tests, confirmed Sherry Gregory, director of the North Georgia Health District (NGHD) Infectious Disease Department.
“The PCR (test) is like the gold standard, but there are also the antigen tests out there that are the rapid tests. A lot of facilities utilize the rapid tests, and we still do all our investigations if it’s an antigen test. We still consider those a positivity,” she said.
Gregory said the spread of the easily transmissible COVID-19 Delta Variant and still-low vaccination rates are causing spikes in new cases here and in the health district’s other counties, which include Pickens, Cherokee, Whitfield, Murray and Fannin.
“Gilmer has seen an increase, and we’re seeing an increase in all six counties,” she confirmed. “We definitely know the Delta Variant is much, much more contagious than the previous variant. We’re also seeing a change in the younger groups. When COVID first started, it was hitting more of the seniors. Now, we’re seeing it in a lot of our younger groups.”
Gregory said COVID will continue to mutate and cause variants like the current one, until many more get vaccinated.
“When the vaccine came out, a lot of people got vaccinated, but a lot of people didn’t. What happens in that case is the disease is able to change,” she added. “Now, we’re looking at a more infectious disease than we had previously. That stems from people not getting vaccinated and allowing the disease to mutate and get worse than it has been.”
According to GDPH data, as of Monday, Aug. 9, 36 percent of Gilmer residents, or 10,825, had been fully vaccinated, while 39 percent, or 11,859, had received at least one dose.
“We are seeing an increase in vaccinations, and I’m glad to see people are trying to get vaccinated now. There’s no reason not to,” Gregory said. “We’ve seen the huge difference it made in our senior community, where we were having tons of deaths. Once that group got vaccinated, it dropped way down.”
Although breakthrough cases are being seen in which vaccinated persons contract the Delta Variant, vaccination does provide a level of protection against severe forms of the illness developing, Gregory noted.
“We are encouraging, even if you’re vaccinated to wear a mask in public and still practice (what’s) recommended by the CDC,” she added.
The CDC also recommends that community leaders encourage vaccination and wearing masks, and that teachers, staff, students and visitors in K-12 schools wear masks regardless of vaccination status.
Although that recommendation has been made to schools within the health district, Gov. Brian Kemp is allowing schools to decide whether or not to require masks be worn, Gregory noted.
“We want our students to be in school, and we’ve been working with the schools trying to encourage following the CDC’s guidance,” she added. “We are also working with schools to try and identify cases. They are still required to make us aware of any cases in the school systems. We’re still trying to do our contact tracing (in schools), and we want to contact those people who’ve been around somebody who’s positive to provide them the education they need.”
Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson -COVID vaccines are all are currently available at the Gilmer Health Department, 28 Southside Church Street. Those age 18 and up can pick which vaccine they want to receive, and the shots are given free of charge. No appointment or advance notice is needed to get vaccinated at the health department.
“It’s just by walk-in during our normal business hours,” said nurse manager Krystal Sumner.
The NGHD’s health departments will do onsite clinics for businesses, organizations, churches and other groups, Gregory emphasized.
“We’ve put lots of literature out there to try to dismantle some of the myths that are out there, and we’re here to help in any fashion we can. There’s not a location we wouldn’t go to. If anyone would like to assist us in organizing something, we will be more than happy to go,” she said.