Cherokee County, GA - The Cherokee County Health Department’s Canton and Woodstock Health Centers will close at 10:30 AM on Friday, February 4th, for a joint staff meeting. The health centers normally close on Fridays at 1 PM in Canton and at 1:30 PM in Woodstock to allow for longer hours of service on Tuesdays; however, we apologize for any inconvenience caused by the early closing of these facilities 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.

Dalton, GA -  Due to the potential for icy road conditions, the MAKO Medical COVID-19 Drive-thru Testing site in Dalton will DELAY OPENING to 10 AM tomorrow, Saturday, January 29th and will remain open until 1 PM. The location is Pleasant Grove Park, 1732 Pleasant Grove Drive, N.E., Dalton, GA, 30721.

For information about how to register for COVID-19 testing at the MAKO Medical site in Dalton or at their other locations in North Georgia, log onto the North Georgia Health District website at https://www.nghd.org/news/media-releases/free-covid-19-testing-available-in-north-georgia.

North GA - Due to the potential for residual icy road conditions, the Fannin, Gilmer, and Pickens County Health Departments and the Jasper MAKO Medical COVID-19 Drive-thru Testing site will DELAY OPENING to 10 AM on Tuesday, January 18, 2022.

All updates are posted to the North Georgia Health District website at www.NGHD.org and on our social media pages at Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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.