Today on Political Rewind: The spread of the delta variant combined with a continuing low rate of vaccinations have led to a dramatic spike in cases of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The news can seem scary. We assembled a panel of top public health experts to help demystify the state of the virus today.
September was expected to be the month of mass returns to the office. Now the surging extra-contagious coronavirus variant has employers wondering what to do.
New numbers from Georgia’s Department of Public Health show nearly all new COVID-19 cases and deaths in the state in the past seven months were among unvaccinated people.
Workers at the Clarkston Community Health Center are in a fight against vaccine hesitancy. Immigrants, many refugees, make up more than half of the residents in this city of about 13,000 people. The population is at high risk of contracting the virus and, community leaders say, among the hardest to convince to be vaccinated.
Friday on Political Rewind: Vaccination rates in Georgia remain stubbornly low, even as the coronavirus is establishing a foothold again across the country. Hospitalizations are up in the state too, with the vast majority of patients being unvaccinated. What role are misinformation and partisan politics playing in the continuing spread of the virus? And how is this affecting other national topics, such as immigration? Our panel weighs in.
Plus, all five candidates for mayor of Atlanta took aim at what they say is a destructive campaign to create a new city of Buckhead.
Thursday on Political Rewind: Speaker of the House David Ralston has unveiled a sweeping $75 million proposal to confront escalating crime, especially in metro Atlanta. The plan includes bonuses for local law enforcement officers and an increase in funding for law enforcement agencies — as well as for an expansion of mental health services. Democratic House members said they’ll work with Ralston on his plan even as they recognize it’s part of a GOP effort to use crime-fighting as a wedge issue in the 2022 election cycle.
Meanwhile, the guessing game over the possibility of a big-name Republican emerging to challenge U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock continues this week, and the effect of COVID on U.S. life expectancy is discussed.
The pace of COVID vaccination in Georgia has slowed to a crawl. Meanwhile, more dangerous virus variants are on the horizon. What is being done to get people vaccinated?
That's Dr. Junaid Nabi's perspective as an immigrant when he hear Americans say they're going to "watch and wait" — while his family and colleagues abroad are desperate for a COVID-19 vaccine.
The system is designed to provide early warning of what might or might not be actual side effects. But anti-vaccine groups are bending the data to their own ends.
Parts of rural Georgia are seeing low rates of vaccination against COVID-19, which could be a problem for the state going forward, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There's no universal digital passport yet, it's not clear exactly what kind of proof will be accepted, and paper vaccination cards can be easily forged, damaged or lost.
Wednesday on Political Rewind, Gov. Brian Kemp has issued an executive order banning state agencies and schools from requiring proof of vaccination against the coronavirus. Also, after days of silence, Republican leaders of the U.S. House have now issued stern criticisms of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s repeated statements comparing mask and vaccine rules to Nazi Germany’s vilification of Jews.
Fully vaccinated people got the green light last week to resume much of their lives without masks. Behavioral experts say that as an incentive to get more people vaccinated, it's far from a sure bet.
