North GA - Due to icy road conditions, the MAKO Medical COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Ellijay will CLOSE Monday, January 17th, and the testing sites in Chatsworth, Dalton and Woodstock will DELAY OPENING to 12 PM.

Any further updates will be posted to the North Georgia Health District website at www.NGHD.org.

For more information about MAKO Medical COVID-19 Testing in North Georgia, go to https://www.nghd.org/news/media-releases/free-covid-19-testing-available-in-north-georgia.

North GA - Our District Office and County Health Depts and Services are Closed Monday, January 17th for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. *See weather-related update below for COVID-19 Testing Sites that open on Mondays.* For all test site updates and to register for COVID-19 testing at these sites, go to bit.ly/FREECoVTestingInNorthGA.

Chatsworth, GA – MAKO Medical will now offer COVID-19 drive-thru testing in Chatsworth, Georgia each Monday and Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM. The testing site, located at the Murray County Recreation Department in Chatsworth, has operated on Mondays since last September; however, the greater demand for testing, due the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, required an extra day of operation each week in Chatsworth to make it easier for residents to get free testing locally.

The Murray County Recreation Department address is 651 Hyden Tyler Road, Chatsworth, GA 30705.

Additional MAKO Medical COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in North Georgia are in Blue Ridge, Dalton, Ellijay, Jasper and Woodstock. Addresses and operating schedules for these locations are on the North Georgia Health District website at https://www.nghd.org/news/media-releases/free-covid-19-testing-available-in-north-georgia.

Anyone who has COVID-19 type symptoms or has been in close contact recently with a person infected with the virus needs to be tested for COVID-19, even if they are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 Testing is offered for free at the MAKO Medical drive-thru testing sites in North Georgia through a partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health. This is PCR testing performed with a nasal swab to determine the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. It is important to register ahead for testing at https://mako.exchange/splash/GAmakotesting.

Visit a Local Health DepartmentIf you received your COVID-19 vaccinations in Georgia and have lost your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card, you may visit a local health department. They will confirm your vaccination status in GRITS (Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services) and generate a new card or your immunizations record. Please bring a photo ID with you to the health department.

Please note that you must visit a health department. These cards/records will NOT be sent by mail or email.

If you received any of your COVID-19 vaccinations in any other state besides Georgia, you will need to contact that state or the original provider to obtain your records. If you have official records, you may bring them with you, and health department staff will update your information in GRITS.

For a list of state immunization registry contacts, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contacts-locate-records.html

Jasper, GA – MAKO Medical just announced their COVID-19 drive-thru testing site in Jasper, Georgia will now operate on both Tuesday and Wednesday each week from 8 AM to 3 PM, beginning immediately.  The testing site, located at Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Jasper, has operated on Tuesdays since last September; however, with the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, the demand for testing has increased. Adding another day for testing in Jasper will facilitate that process for residents.

Anyone who has COVID-19 type symptoms or has been in close contact recently with a person infected with the virus needs to be tested for COVID-19, even if they are fully vaccinated.

COVID-19 Testing is offered for free at the MAKO Medical drive-thru testing sites in North Georgia through a partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health. This is PCR testing performed with a nasal swab to determine the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19. It is important to register ahead for testing at https://mako.exchange/splash/GAmakotesting.

North Georgia - On January 5th, the CDC endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation to expand eligibility of booster doses to those 12 to 15 years old. CDC now recommends that adolescents ages 12 to 17 should receive a booster shot 5 months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination series. Additionally, moderately or severely immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11 may now receive a third shot in their primary series to be fully vaccinated 28 days after their second shot - learn more from the CDC.

Just as for everyone who is eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, booster doses for youngsters 12 and older and third shots for immunocompromised children ages 5 to 11 are now available at health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield Counties. No appointment is needed for a COVID-19 vaccination at our county health departments during regular clinic hours. Please click on the listed county names to find health department locations and clinic hours of operation.

North GA – Beginning January 15th, MAKO Medical COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in Dalton and Woodstock, Georgia will open on Saturdays from 8 AM to 1 PM. This is in addition to the time these sites operate each Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM. (Due to the currently high volumes of people coming to the Woodstock testing site, it is recommended to arrive there by 1:30 PM on weekdays and by 11:30 AM on Saturdays to ensure testing before closing time).

These sites are located at Pleasant Grove Park, 1732 Pleasant Grove Drive, N.E., Dalton, Georgia 30721 and JJ Biello Park Riverside Athletic Complex, 610 Druw Cameron Court, Woodstock, Georgia 30188.

Additional MAKO Medical COVID-19 drive-thru testing sites in North Georgia are located in Blue Ridge, Chatsworth, Ellijay and Jasper. Addresses and operating schedules for these locations are on the North Georgia Health District website at https://www.nghd.org/news/media-releases/free-covid-19-testing-available-in-north-georgia.  

Anyone who has COVID-19 type symptoms or has been in close contact recently with a person infected with the virus needs to be tested for COVID-19, even if they are fully vaccinated.

Due to the potential for inclement weather and unsafe road conditions on Thursday, Jan. 6th and Friday, Jan. 7th, some offices and health departments in the North Georgia Health District will close early or delay opening. Please refer below to our latest updated closings and delays:

• Fannin and Gilmer County Health Departments closed at 3 PM on Thurs., Jan. 6th.
• Fannin, Gilmer and Pickens County Health Departments will delay opening to 10 AM on Fri., Jan. 7th. 
• MAKO Medical COVID-19 Drive-thru Testing Site in Gilmer County will also delay opening to 10 AM on Fri., Jan. 7th, and will extend testing hours until 3 PM for this site on this one day only.

Cherokee County, GA – The Cherokee County Health Department Health Centers in Canton and Woodstock will close at 10:30 AM on Friday, January 7th for a joint staff meeting. Although both health centers normally operate on shorter hours on Fridays to allow for longer hours of service on Tuesdays, we apologize for any inconvenience that may be caused by the early closing this Friday. Please find all public health services provided in Cherokee County, along with clinic hours, contact information and locations, at https://nghd.org/nghd-locations-listing/category/cherokee. 

Woodstock, GA – Due to currently high volumes of people seeking testing at the MAKO Medical COVID-19 Drive-thru Testing Site at JJ Biello Park in Woodstock, testing lines must close when the site reaches full capacity each day. This is a temporary measure to ensure that everyone waiting in line may be tested prior to site closing at 3 PM. Therefore, at this time, the best advice to anyone needing testing at the site is to arrive before 1:30 PM.

The address for the MAKO Medical COVID-19 testing site in Woodstock is JJ Biello Park, Riverside Athletic Complex, 610 Druw Cameron Court, Woodstock, GA 30188. Hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 3 PM. PCR nasal-swab testing is provided at this site and it is free. Prior to arrival, please register online at https://mako.exchange/splash/GAmakotesting/.

Find more information and additional MAKO Medical COVID-19 testing sites in the North Georgia Health District at https://www.nghd.org/news/media-releases/free-covid-19-testing-available-in-north-georgia.

A list of both commercial and free COVID-19 testing sites are available on the Georgia Department of Public Health website at https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting.