NORTH GA – County public health departments within the North Georgia Health District will conduct two separate pop-up COVID-19 testing sites, respectively, on  Wednesday and Thursday of next week.

The two pop-up COVID-19 testing sites, times and locations are:

• • Pickens County: Wednesday, May 6th, 9 A.M. – 11 A.M., Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 1036 North Main Street, Jasper, GA 30143

• • Murray County: Thursday, May 7th, 9 A.M. – 11 A.M., Murray County Parks and Recreation Department, 651 Hyden Tyler Road, Chatsworth, GA 30705 

COVID-19 testing is free, but people who meet the criteria for testing must register in advance by calling 1-888-881-1474.

People who are eligible for testing include:

  - Anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms, such as:

• • Fever
  • Felt feverish
  • Runny nose
    
  • Cough
    
  • Muscle aches
    
  • Chills
    
  • Sore throat
    
  • Nausea or vomiting
    
  • Abdominal pain
  • Loss of taste
  • Loss of smell
  • Headache
  • Shortness of breath
  • Diarrhea
  • Other

  - Anyone who does or does not have COVID-19 symptoms and is also one of the following:

• • Health care worker
  • First responder
  • Law enforcement officer
  • Resident or worker in a long-term care facility
  • Resident or worker in a congregate setting
  • Critical infrastructure worker, such as grocery store and utility workers, truck drivers, airline crew members, etc.

“We have assisted in the free testing of hundreds of residents at three public health drive-thru sites in Cherokee, Gilmer and Whitfield counties,” said Dr. Zachary Taylor, health district director. “But there are people who have barriers for getting COVID-19 testing, such as lack of transportation, so we want to remove those barriers and make it easier for as many people as possible to be tested.”

More information about COVID-19 and testing in Georgia can be found at bit.ly/COVID-Updates-NorthGA.

**Click here for changes to our COVID-19 Testing. Final Week for Testing by Public Health**

FREE COVID-19 Testing is Available in Cherokee and Whitfield Counties

Call Center is open weekdays, 8:15 AM - 4:30 PM

North Georgians, YOU may receive FREE COVID-19 TESTING provided by public health at a testing site in Cherokee and Whitfield County! *You MUST first register for testing and arrange for an appointment to go to a testing site in one of these counties by contacting our Call Center at 1-888-881-1474. (First Responders Do NOT have to register prior to arrival at testing sites in Georgia.)

Although anyone can be tested in Georgia, we especially encourage the priority groups to be tested: people who have symptoms of the Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 such as fever, dry cough or shortness of breath (see more), and for people who are with or without symptoms and are either a healthcare worker, first responder, law enforcement officer or a person who lives or works in a long-term care facility or congregate setting OR are a critical infrastructure worker, such as a grocery store employee, trucker or utility worker.

Register today for FREE COVID-19 Testing by public health in North Georgia by calling  1-888-881-1474. The Call Center is generally open weekdays, 8:15 AM - 4:30 PM (check calendar above for any possible exceptions). *NO Appointment is Needed for 1st Responders. Call volumes can be abnormally high at times, but please continue dialing until you get through.

For more information about COVID-19 and FREE public health Testing in North Georgia, log onto www.nghd.org.  

 Contact information for local health departments providing COVID-19 testing throughout Georgia can be found HERE.

Effective immediately, all symptomatic individuals will be eligible for COVID-19 testing. Health care workers, first responders, law enforcement and long-term care facility residents and staff will still be prioritized for testing regardless of whether they are or are not symptomatic.

Referrals are still required, however, there are now two ways to be referred to a DPH specimen collection site:

Local Health Department

Individuals who meet COVID-19 testing criteria may now be referred to DPH specimen collection sites by contacting their local health department. They will be screened by appropriate health department staff and referred to the closest, most convenient specimen collection site.

Contact information for local health departments can be found below and on the DPH homepage at https://dph.georgia.gov/, under COVID-19 in Georgia.

Health Care Provider Referral

Health care providers and/or physicians can and should continue to refer patients for COVID-19 testing.

People should not arrive unannounced or without a scheduled appointment at a specimen collection site, hospital, emergency room or other health care facility. Only individuals who have been evaluated by public health or a health care provider and assigned a PUI # number will be referred to these drive-thru sites.

Together we can stop further spread of COVID-19 in our state and save lives.

Stay home – the Governor has issued a shelter-in-place Executive Order that should be observed by all residents and visitors.

Practice social distancing – keep at least 6 feet between yourself and other people.

Wash your hands – use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60% alcohol) if soap and water aren’t readily available.

Wear a mask – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend the use of face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19, especially where socials distancing is difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.), and especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

For more information about COVID-19 https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

For updates on the COVID-19 situation as it develops, follow @GaDPH, @GeorgiaEMA, and @GovKemp on Twitter and @GaDPH, @GEMA.OHS, and @GovKemp on Facebook.

North Georgians, YOU may receive FREE COVID-19 TESTING provided by public health. But, to register for FREE COVID-19 testing and receive an appointment at a testing site nearest you in North Georgia, you must first call 1-888-881-1474.

Our testing priority is for people who have symptoms of the Coronavirus Disease COVID-19 such as fever, dry cough or shortness of breath (see more), and for people who are with or without symptoms and are either a healthcare worker, first responder, law enforcement officer or a person who lives or works in a long-term care facility or congregate setting, OR are a critical infrastructure worker, such as a grocery store employee, trucker or utility worker.

Register for FREE COVID-19 Testing by public health in North Georgia at 1-888-881-1474 today!

To find COVID-19 Information for North Georgians, click HERE.

DALTON, Ga – UPDATE: Due to the public health state of emergency surrounding COVID-19 and the need to enhance a more concerted response, including COVID-19 testing, suspension of nursing services at public health departments in the North Georgia Health District now includes Gilmer, Murray and Pickens counties until further notice. Public health clients who need essential services, may call the county health department in Blue Ridge (706-632-3023), Canton (770-345-7371) or Dalton (706-279-9600) for an appointment.

Essential services currently offered at these health departments include:

• STD/HIV testing
• Newborn immunizations
• Tdap vaccinations for parents and grandparents of newborns
• Hepatitis A vaccinations
• *WIC vouchers

*WIC services will continue to be available by phone at all county health departments in the North Georgia Health District, including the three counties where nursing services are suspended. Call (706) 370-4700.

We apologize for this inconvenience; however, it is a necessary measure at this time. 

Learn more about our FREE COVID-19 testing in Cherokee, Gilmer and Whitfield counties, along with who is being tested and how to call HERE. Get information about COVID-19 testing statewide HERE. 

For the latest COVID-19 recommendations from the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), log onto our COVID-19 Information for North Georgians page HERE.