- *Caregivers provide care to people who need assistance with everyday tasks.
- Care recipients can live in residential or institutional settings, range from children to older adults, and have chronic illnesses or disabling conditions.
RECENT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
For a Limited Time in North Georgia: April 19 – 22!
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North (GA) - Are you a Georgian aged 16 or older? Then come on down to a limited Walk-Up COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic where NO Appointment is Needed! These limited no-appointment walk-up clinics will be conducted by Public Health Departments at their current COVID-19 vaccine clinic sites in Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties, April 19 – 22 from 9 AM to 3 PM. There is NO Cost to clients.* Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccine will be offered, as available (Pfizer is most reliably available in Whitfield County). Teens ages 16 to 18 are only permitted Pfizer vaccine and must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Get safely vaccinated against COVID-19 and protect yourself, your family and your community! See locations for participating county public health COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic sites below:
Fannin County: Kiwanis Club of Blue Ridge, 124 Jones Street, Blue Ridge, GA 30213
Gilmer County: Piedmont Community Center, 824 Industrial Blvd., Ellijay, GA 30540
Murray County: Murray County Parks & Recreation Dept, 651 Hyden Tyler Rd, Chatsworth, GA 30705
Pickens County: Pickens County Recreation Department, 1329 Camp Road, Jasper, GA 30143
Whitfield County: Whitfield County Health Department, 800 Professional Blvd, Dalton, GA 30720
*Health insurance accepted IF presented, but there is NO out-of-pocket expense to clients!
Questions about COVID-19 Vaccine? Click HERE!
Following the guidance of the FDA and CDC, Georgia is pausing ALL J&J vaccinations until further notice. Additional information is below.
NEWS RELEASE: April 13, 2021
DPH Follows FDA and CDC Guidance Pausing J&J Vaccinations in Georgia
Atlanta – Following the guidance and recommendations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is pausing J&J (Janssen) vaccinations in Georgia until further notice. The FDA and CDC are reviewing data involving six reported cases of a rare and severe type of blood clot occurring in women aged 18-48 about a week after vaccination. None of the six cases are in individuals vaccinated in Georgia and are unrelated to the reactions reported last week at the Cumming Fairgrounds site.
DPH and District Health Departments are working to provide Pfizer or Moderna vaccines for individuals with previously scheduled appointments for the J&J vaccine. In some cases, this may require rescheduling, and we ask for patience while scheduling arrangements and adjustments are made.
Right now, these adverse events appear to be extremely rare, but out of an abundance of caution DPH will temporarily stop the administration of the J&J vaccine while scientists review the data around these cases. More than 124,000 doses of J&J vaccine have been safely administered in Georgia.
Individuals who have received the J&J vaccine and develop severe headache, abdominal pain leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care providers. DPH urges all health care providers to be aware of the potential for these adverse events and plan for appropriate treatment required with these types of blood clots.
Vaccination remains one of our best tools for stopping the spread of COVID-19, along with basic prevention measures – wearing a mask, distancing from others, avoiding large gatherings and frequent hand washing.
DPH will continue to monitor the situation with J&J vaccines and provide additional information as it becomes available.
For updates on COVID-19, follow @GaDPH and @GovKemp on Twitter and @GaDPH and @GovKemp on Facebook.
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Beginning Thursday, March 25, 2021
Atlanta – The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and Governor Brian Kemp announced the state will expand its COVID vaccine eligibility beginning March 25, 2021, to include all Georgians aged 16 and older. Increased COVID vaccine supply and significant progress in vaccinating Georgia seniors, our most vulnerable population, allows the state to move forward and to ensure all vaccine doses are being put into arms.
Vaccination, along with strict compliance with basic prevention measures - wear a mask, stay six feet from others, avoid large gatherings, wash your hands frequently - will help Georgia stop the spread of COVID-19.
These measures are critically important as SARs-CoV-2 variants continue to circulate and increase in Georgia. Currently, there are 367 confirmed COVID cases with variants statewide; 351 cases with the UK variant (B.1.1.7), 15 cases with the South Africa variant (B.1.351), and 1 case with the Brazil variant (P.1). These variants appear to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19.
Anyone signs or symptoms of COVID-19 should be tested, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. Follow the advice of your health care provider about what you should do while you wait for your test results. COVID testing not only helps DPH control and mitigate infection, but it also provides valuable information about variants when positive test results are sequenced.
To find a vaccination location or to schedule an appointment, log on to dph.ga.gov/covid-vaccine or visit myvaccinegeorgia.com to schedule an appointment at a GEMA mass vaccination site.
Important note: Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine approved for teens 16 and 17 years old. Please schedule an appointment at CVS or Walgreens or at one of the GEMA mass vaccination sites to ensure Pfizer vaccine is available.
For updates on COVID-19, follow @GaDPH and @GovKemp on Twitter and @GaDPH and @GovKemp on Facebook.
Register for an appointment online at gta-vras.powerappsportals.us or call 1-888-457-0186.
Everyone 12 and older is eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine. Only Pfizer is authorized for children 12 through 17 with parental consent. No appointment is needed at any county health department in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens or Whitfield County. For health department locations, go HERE to our homepage and click on your county listed on that page at right.
North GA – No Appointment is needed for COVID-19 Vaccination in the North Georgia Health District at Public Health Departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties. There is NO Cost to clients, regardless of healthcare coverage. No Identification is required.
Over 160,000 COVID-19 vaccinations have been provided by public health in the North Georgia Health District and the county health departments continue to urge residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19 right away.
Anyone with questions about COVID-19 vaccine may go here on our website to Questions About COVID-19 Vaccine? or may call the GA COVID-19 Hotline at (888) 357-0169.
UPDATE: Effective Thursday, March 25, ALL Georgians age 16 and older will be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine. Register for an appointment online at gta-vras.powerappsportals.us or call 1-888-457-0186.
Georgia eligibility is now open for everyone 16 years of age and older for the COVID vaccine.
Note: Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for children aged 16 and older.**
**Pfizer vaccine is offered when available by some of our county health departments, but it is consistently available only at our Whitfield County COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic. Mass vaccination clinics in Georgia also have Pfizer vaccine - go to myvaccinegeorgia.com.
NEWS RELEASE from the Georgia Department of Public Health
We Have Answers!
All Georgians *12 and older are Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine. Walk in to one of our COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics without an appointment, or register for an appointment online at gta-vras.powerappsportals.us or call 1-888-457-0186.
Who is eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine right now in Georgia?
Georgia Eligibility is open for everyone 12 years of age and older for the COVID vaccine.
*Note: Pfizer is the only COVID vaccine currently approved for children aged 12 through 17. All minors must have parental consent for a vaccination.
Pfizer COVID vaccine is offered when available at some of our county health departments' COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics; however, it is most reliably available at our clinics in Cherokee, Pickens and Whitfield counties.
Everyone who is eligible for the vaccine may walk in without an appointment to a public health COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens or Whitfield County, or they may register for a COVID-19 vaccination appointment at gta-vras.powerappsportals.us or call 1-888-457-0186.
Eligibility is subject to change. Please monitor this site for all updates.
Why is it important for healthcare workers and first responders to have the vaccination?
When healthcare personnel and first responders get sick with COVID-19, they are not able to work and provide key services for patients or clients, which weakens the whole community’s healthcare infrastructure.
Why is it critical that people 65 and older get vaccinated?
It is especially important for older adults to get the vaccine because they have the highest risk of being very sick or dying from COVID-19.
Is COVID-19 Vaccine provided for Free?
COVID-19 vaccine is offered by public health at no cost. Health insurance will be accepted if available, but if insurance is not presented, there will be no cost for the vaccine to the client.
COVID-19 VACCINE DISTRIBUTION (AS OF 3/8/21)
GEORGIA IS NOW VACCINATING-
- Healthcare workers (physicians, nurses, lab technicians, EMS)
- Law Enforcement
- Fire Personnel
- First Responders
- Residents and staff of long-term care facilities
- Individuals aged 65+ and their caregivers*
- Educators and staff (Pre-K, K-12, DECAL licensed or exempt childcare programs)
- Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their caregivers*
- Parents of children with complex medical conditions
UPDATE: Effective Thursday, March 25, ALL Georgians ages 16 and older will be Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine. Register for an appointment online at gta-vras.powerappsportals.us or call 1-888-457-0186.
Georgia recently expanded vaccine eligibility, beginning March 15, 2021, to include adults aged 55 and older, individuals with disabilities and certain medical conditions. Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are already eligible for vaccination. This expansion now includes disabilities caused by an injury (e.g., traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury), a disability due to a longstanding condition that could cause vision loss, nerve damage or loss of a limb, or a disability due to illness such as ALS or multiple sclerosis.
The medical conditions referenced are:
Asthma (moderate to severe) Immunocompromised
Cancer Liver disease
Cerebrovascular disease Neurologic conditions
Chronic kidney disease Overweight and obesity
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Pregnancy
Cystic Fibrosis Pulmonary fibrosis
Diabetes Sickle Cell Disease
Hypertension or high blood pressure Thalassemia (blood disorder)
Heart conditions
For a more detailed list, please log onto the DPH website at https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.
Part C Grant Application Information
Babies Can't Wait (BCW) is Georgia’s statewide early intervention program for infants and toddlers with special needs, from birth to three years-of-age and their families. The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is the lead agency for administration of the BCW program. As required under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C section 34 CFR §§303.110-303.113, “the State must publish its Part C application or policy in a manner that will ensure circulation throughout the State at least 60-days prior to the date on which the application or policy is submitted and allow an opportunity for public comments on the application or policy for at least 30 days during that 60-day publication period.” In order to meet this requirement, BCW invites interested persons to participate in a 60-day public comment period for the Part C Grant Application Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2021 from March 1, 2021 to May 3, 2021. The Part C grant application and revised policy is available for public review at hhttp://dph.georgia.gov/bcw-part-c-application. Comments can be submitted by mail, email, or fax as follows:
(1) Written comments will be received until May 3, 2021:
Babies Can’t Wait
Attn: Jeannine Galloway, Interim Part C Coordinator/Maternal and Child Health Director
2 Peachtree Street NW, 11th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30303-13422
(2) Email comments will be received until May 3, 2021
(3) Facsimile comments will be received until May 3, 2021
State BCW Office Fax: (404) 738- 0103 Attn: Jeannine Galloway
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Drive-thru PCR COVID-19 Testing in the North Georgia Health District is not operated by our county health departments but by MAKO Medical Services.
Conveniently located in North Georgia! Register HERE.
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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 you are fully vaccinated.
Free COVID-19 Testing is offered at a MAKO Medical Drive-Thru Testing Site in North Georgia through a partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health. There are no eligibility requirements other than having a Georgia address and registering online at https://mako.exchange/splash/GAmakotesting/.
**Please do not call the facility where testing is operated or the county health departments for information. The facility and health departments DO NOT operate testing. MAKO Medical is in charge. Therefore, please direct all testing-related questions to MAKO Medical via their website at https://mako.exchange/splash/GAmakotesting/.**
The location, address and hours for FREE COVID-19 Drive-thru testing at the MAKO Medical site in North Georgia is:
Pleasant Grove Park
1732 Pleasant Grove Drive, N.E., Dalton, GA 30721
Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 3 PM
**Please do not call the facility where the testing operates or the county health departments. No information is available by phone at these locations**
This is PCR testing done by nasal swab to determine the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19, and it is free.
More information about MAKO Medical’s Free COVID-19 Testing is available at the registration link.
North GA — The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) announced yesterday there are 19 cases of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7 identified in Georgia, including one case in Cherokee County, located in the North Georgia Health District. This COVID-19 variant is commonly known as the UK variant because it was discovered in England, and it is now in several other countries and U.S. states. Currently, this is the only new variant in Georgia.
The other Georgia cases were identified in Carroll, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fulton, Gwinnett, and Paulding counties.
Case investigation and contact tracing to identify, inform and monitor anyone who was in close contact with these individuals are ongoing. However, officials advise that the virus could be identified anywhere so we must take the same precautions as if a case had been identified nearby.
“We are still not certain whether this variant of the virus causes more severe illness than the more common coronavirus, however, we do know that it seems to spread more easily and quicker,” said Zachary Taylor, MD, MS, district health director of District 2 Public Health and interim health director of North Georgia Health District 1-2. “With the presence of a more contagious variant, we must be even more vigilant to protect against it and continue taking the necessary steps to avoid spreading the virus – wear a mask, wash your hands, avoid gatherings.”