As people begin to travel and gather for the holidays, experts are warning of a fifth wave of COVID-19 cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the omicron variant now accounts for most of the new coronavirus cases in Georgia.
In a statement to students, faculty and staff, UGA President Jere Morehead and other members of the university’s leadership warned “please be aware that the federal government has defined covered employees and covered contractor workplaces broadly.”
With 44% of its population fully vaccinated, Georgia is running far behind the rest of the nation. For the state's Latino community, a population that has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, vaccination rates are even lower. The Rev. Irma Guerra, a Mexican immigrant and minister at Christ Church Episcopal in Norcross, has used her platform to be a vaccine evangelizer and to dispel some of the misinformation about the vaccine through social media, her pulpit and going door to door.
Children generally fare much better than older adults if they contract COVID-19, but in rare cases they can become seriously ill. Sixteen Georgians under 18 have died from COVID-19 out of more than 21,000 deaths statewide, according to the state health department.
October marks the start of the annual flu season, which typically worsens as the mercury drops before ending around May. And with Georgia hospitals still packed with COVID-19 patients, a bad flu season could mean even more strain on already stressed health workers.
The "green pass" will show whether a person has been vaccinated, recently recovered from COVID, or tested negative for the virus. Workers failing to present a pass will be suspended without pay.
The president of the Medical Association of Georgia said Wednesday this flu season could be worse than last year’s, and again stressed the importance of getting both a flu and COVID-19 vaccine.
The pandemic has meant many kids have put off doctor visits and recommended shots. Experts worry that means some pockets of the U.S. are now more vulnerable to outbreaks of measles and meningitis.
When the Las Vegas Raiders start their NFL season, the team wants its home stadium to look as normal as possible, with stands full of fans. Those who been vaccinated won't have to wear masks.
The Department of Health and Human Services will require nearly a third of its employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, while the Department of Veterans Affairs has expanded its vaccination mandate.
Georgia is in the middle of a rise in cases of the highly transmissible delta variant of the coronavirus. But absent any guidance or mandates from the state, districts and charter schools are left to figure out how they are going to cope. The solutions vary wildly from district to district.
