Wednesday, September 30, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds One COVID-19 Death And 96 New Confirmed Cases Of Disease

***University Of Georgia Reports Drop In Positive Tests***

With the addition of one new COVID-19 death and 96 new cases of the disease in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Wednesday, the seven-day rolling averages of deaths and cases in the Northeast Health District edged up just lightly.

The death was of a male in Jackson County with a chronic condition listed as 90 plus in age. Jackson County now has 33 deaths, and the Northeast Health District has 255.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Northeast Health District Records One COVID-19 Death And 110 Confirmed Cases In Tuesday Daily Status Report

***Death Is Morgan County’s Third***

The Department of Public Health reported one new COVID-19 death in the 10-county Northeast Health District on Tuesday and 110 new confirmed cases of the disease.

The new death was of a 65-year-old male in Morgan County without a chronic condition. It is only the third death from COVID-19 in the county since the pandemic began.

Morgan County has the lowest ratio of deaths per population of the District, just below Elbert County, which also has three deaths from the virus.

Oconee County Elections Director Says Procedures In Place To Prevent Double Voting

***More Than 1,000 Ballots Already Cast***

At of the end of the day on Monday, Oconee County’s Elections and Registration Office had received and processed 6,064 absentee ballot requests from the county’s 31,278 registered voters.

The Secretary of State Office has hired a vender who is mailing out the ballots, and that process is underway.

In fact, by the end of the day on Monday, 1,076 of the county’s voters already had returned a ballot–completing their voting process for the Nov. 3 election.

Monday, September 28, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds Four COVID-19 Deaths In State Health Reports On Monday

***Unemployment Rates Improve As COVID-19 Cases Decline***

The Northeast Health District added two COVID-19 deaths in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Monday and two additional deaths in the Department of Community Health Long-Term Care Facility Report.

The Department of Public Health Daily Status Report listed the death of an 85-year-old male with a chronic condition in Greene County and of a female without a chronic condition aged 90 plus in Walton County.

June 9 Primary Vote Analysis Supports Claims Of Republican Candidates That House District 117 And 119 Races Tight

***Turnout Likely To Determine Outcome***

State Rep. Houston Gaines’ comments to Oconee County Republicans were unvarnished.

“We both have a significant challenge coming up in November,” Gaines said, speaking for himself and Rep. Marcus Wiedower. “It’s going to be a real fight.”

Gaines was speaking at the end of July when the Oconee County Republican Party opened its campaign headquarters at 1050 Barber Creek Drive, off Mars Hill Road.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds 28 COVID-19 Cases On Sunday; Seven-Day Rolling Average Of Added Cases Lowest Since July 5

***One Death From Virus Pushes Up Rolling Average***

The Northeast Health District added 28 cases of COVID on Sunday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report, the fewest cases it has added since June 28, also a Sunday.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped to 79.7 in the 10-county Northeast Health District, the lowest rolling average since July 5. The seven-day rolling average had been 83.3 on Saturday.

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Clarke County Added COVID-19 Death On Saturday, And Seven-Day Rolling Average Of Added Deaths In Northeast Health District Increased

***Deaths In Barrow And Jackson Counties As Well***

Clarke County recorded its 44th death from COVID-19 with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Saturday, the second death in the county from the disease listed in the Report in as many days.

The Daily Status Report listed two deaths from COVID-19 in Barrow County and one in Jackson County, and the four additional deaths brought the seven-day rolling average of added deaths in the 10-county Northeast Health District up slightly to 1.1 from 1.0 on Friday.

Friday, September 25, 2020

Virtual Candidate Forum Scheduled Oct. 12 For Oconee County Commission Candidates

***Post 3 And Chair Race On Ballot***

All five candidates competing for positions on the Oconee County Board of Commissioners on the Nov. 3 ballot have agreed to participate in a virtual candidates forum over Zoom from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on Oct. 12.

The candidates will introduce themselves and then respond to questions submitted in advance and during the session itself.

COVID-19 Deaths And Cases Drop In Northeast Health District; Active Cases And Quarantines Drop At Oconee County Schools

***New COVID-19 Deaths Recorded In Clarke And Elbert Counties***

Clarke County recorded its 43rd death due to COVID-19 in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Friday, ending an otherwise positive week of declining cases of the disease and deaths attributed to it in the Northeast Health District.

The Clarke County death was of a 53-year-old male without a known chronic condition.

With the single death in the 10-county Northeast Health District, the seven-day rolling average of added deaths dropped to 1.0 on Friday from 1.9 on Thursday in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds 113 COVID-19 Case, And Rolling Average Of Added Cases Continues To Decline

***No New COVID-19 Deaths Reported***

The Northeast Health District added 113 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped for the 10th day in a row.

Eight of the 10 counties in the District added cases, with Morgan and Greene counties the exception.

Oconee County added five cases and Clarke County added 36 cases, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases in each county dropped–to 4.6 in Oconee County and 28.6 in Clarke County. Those averages had been 5.6 and 31.4 respectively on Wednesday.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

Rolling Average Of Added COVID-19 Cases In Northeast Health District Returns To Level In July

***No New Deaths From Disease Reported In District***

The Northeast Health District added 95 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Wednesday, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped below 100 for the first time since July 12.

The rolling average had been 103.6 on Tuesday and was 94.3 with the release of the Daily Status Report on Wednesday.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

State Health Reports List Eight Deaths From COVID-19 In Northeast Health District, With Four In Clarke County

***District Has 74 New COVID-19 Cases***

The Department of Public Health reported two deaths from COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District in Tuesday’s Daily Status Report, and the Department of Community Health reported six deaths in the District in its Long-Term Care Facility Report, also released on Tuesday.

One of the Daily Status Report deaths was in Clarke County, and three of the Long-Term Care Facility Report deaths were at University Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Athens-Clarke County.

Monday, September 21, 2020

Northeast Health District Has One Death Listed In Department of Public Health Report And Another In Department of Community Health Report

***COVID-19 Hospital Numbers Up***

The Northeast Health District added two COVID-19 Deaths On Monday, one in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report and the other in the Department of Community Affairs Long-Term Care Facility Report. 

The death listed in the Department Public Health report was of an 81-year-female in Walton County without a known chronic condition.

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds 53 New COVID-19 Cases, And Rolling Average of Added Cases Continues To Decline

***No New COVID Deaths In Public Health Report***

The Northeast Health District added only 53 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, traditionally a slow day of reporting, but the number of added cases was lower than a week ago, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped for the sixth day in a row.

Oconee County added two cases with the release of the Daily Status Report, and Clarke County added 19. Even with the small number of cases, all of the remaining eight counties in the 10-county district except Greene and Elbert added cases.

Proper Role Of Board Of Education Is A Question In Oconee County Candidate Forum

***Should Board Members Respond To Citizen Emails?***

Incumbent Oconee County Board of Education Post 4 Member Tim Burgess had some advice for the three other candidates seeking a spot on the Board at Thursday’s night’s virtual candidate forum.

The Board is a governing body, Burgess said, and it hires a superintendent to run the schools.

Most of the issues that come before the Board are operational issues, Burgess said, and the Board should not get involved in those issues until after school administrators have tried to resolve them.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

Oconee County Adds Second Death From COVID-19 In As Many Days With Release Of Saturday Public Health Report

***Barrow County Added Two Deaths***

For the second day in a row, Oconee County added a death attributed to COVID-19 with the release of the Daily Status Report by the Department of Public Health on Saturday.

Barrow County added two deaths, bringing the total number of new deaths added in the 10-county Northeast Health District to three and the total since March to 242.

Friday, September 18, 2020

Oconee And Clarke Counties Add COVID-19 Deaths With Friday Release Of Department Of Public Health Report

***Oconee County Schools List 10 Active Cases***

The Department of Public Health on Friday listed seven deaths attributed to COVID-19 in its Daily Status Report for the 10-county Northeast Health District, including one in Oconee County and three in Clarke County.

The seven-day rolling average of added deaths from the corona virus in the Northeast Health District increased to 2.4 on Friday from 1.7 on Saturday.

Thursday, September 17, 2020

Clarke County Jackson Counties Add COVID-19 Deaths In Release Of Thursday Daily Status Report

***Northeast Health District Adds 133 COVID-19 Cases***

Clarke County recorded another death attributed to COVID-19 in the Thursday Daily Status Report of the Department of Public Health, as did Jackson County, bringing the total number of deaths from the disease in the Northeast Health District to 232, up from 220 a week ago.

The District had added two deaths on Thursday of last week, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths remained unchanged from Wednesday at 1.7.

State Representative Wiedower Filed A Revised Campaign Disclosure Report Following Complaint About Dates Of Contributions

***Wiedower Said Misdating Was An “Oversight”***

State Representative Marcus Wiedower filed a revised campaign contribution report on Tuesday after a member of the Athens-Clarke County Democratic Committee filed a complaint accusing Wiedower of illegally accepting campaign contributions during this year’s legislative session.

In filing the revised Campaign Contribution Disclosure Report for Jan. 31, 2020, Wiedower changed the dates on 21 contributions that previously had been listed as having been received on Jan. 17, 22, and 23.

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Northeast Health District Experiences Drops in Average Number Of COVID-19 Cases And Deaths On Wednesday

***University Of Georgia Also Reports Drop In Cases***

The seven-day rolling average of added COVID-19 cases and deaths declined in the Northeast Health District on Wednesday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The 10-county District added no deaths attributed to the virus, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths declined from 2.1 on Tuesday to 1.7 on Wednesday.

Tuesday, September 15, 2020

Georgia Sen. Cowsert Tells Oconee County Republicans To Turn Out In Support Of Oconee County House Candidates Gaines And Wiedower

***Says Republican Control Needed For Redistricting***

State Sen. Bill Cowsert called on Oconee County Republicans to turn out to vote in the Nov. 3 election to make sure that Houston Gaines and Marcus Wiedower, who represent the county in the Georgia House, are sent back to Atlanta to protect the party during redistricting.

Cowsert, who, like Gaines and Wiedower, has Democratic opposition on the November ballot, was dismissive of the possibility that he might be defeated, but he said the districts Gaines and Wiedower represent are “close, very close” and “if we don’t get out and vote for them” they can be defeated.

Four Counties In Northeast Health District Add COVID-19 Deaths With Release Of Tuesday Daily Status Report

***Rolling Averages Of Added Cases In Oconee, Clarke Decline***

Barrow, Clarke, Jackson, and Walton counties all added a death from COVID-19 with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Tuesday, and the Northeast Health District, of which the four counties are a part, added 215 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The four deaths in the 10-county district were 8.3 percent of the 48 deaths added across the 159 counties in Georgia in the Daily Status Report on Tuesday, and the 215 cases were 13.7 percent of the 1,571 cases added statewide.

Monday, September 14, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds 72 COVID-19 Cases On Monday, But No Deaths, In Department Of Public Health Report

***Department Of Community Health Lists Two COVID Deaths***

The Northeast Health District added 72 COVID-19 cases with the release of the Daily Status Report on Monday, more than the 59 added on Monday of last week, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases increased slightly from 169.0 on Sunday to 170.9.

The Daily Status Report, issued by the Department of Public Health, listed no new COVID-19 deaths in the 10-county Northeast Health District on Monday, and the seven-day rolling average remained unchanged at 1.9. The District had no deaths listed in the Daily Status Report last Monday.

Sunday, September 13, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds Three COVID Deaths--Two In Oconee--And Seven-Day Rolling Averages Of Added Deaths, Cases Increase

***Jackson County Also Adds COVID-19 Death***

The Northeast Health District added 112 COVID-19 cases on Sunday and three COVID-19 deaths, two of them in Oconee County. The seven-day rolling averages of cases and deaths increased slightly from Saturday.

The two Oconee County deaths were of a 65-year-old female without a chronic condition and of an 89-year-old male, also without a chronic condition.

Saturday, September 12, 2020

Rolling Averages of Added COVID-19 Cases And Deaths Drop For Second Day In Northeast Health District

***Death Is Second In Two Days In Walton County***

The Northeast Health District added 169 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and a single death from the disease, resulting in a decline in the seven-day rolling averages of added cases and deaths for the second day in a row.

The death listed in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report was of a female from Walton County without a known chronic condition. Her age was listed as 90 plus.

Friday, September 11, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds Two COVID-19 Deaths In Department of Public Health Report, Including One In Oconee

***Oconee County Schools Report 10 Active COVID-19 Cases***

The Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Friday listed 190 new Northeast Health District COVID-19 cases and two COVID-19 deaths–one in Oconee County–resulting in small drops in the seven-day rolling averages of cases and deaths.

The death in Oconee County was of a 63-year-old female without a chronic condition, while the second death was of an 80-year-male without a known chronic condition in Walton County.

Thursday, September 10, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds Two COVID-19 Deaths–One In Clarke County–And 161 COVID-19 Cases

***Area Hospitals See Increase In COVID-19 Patients, ICU Bed Use***

The 10-county Northeast Health District added 161 COVID-19 cases and two deaths attributed to the disease with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Thursday.

Every county in the District added cases on Thursday, with Oconee County adding five and Clarke County adding 96. The District contributed 8.3 percent of the cases in the state, down from 9.9 percent on Wednesday. The District is 5.0 percent of the state’s population.

New Voting Locations Reviewed At Oconee County Board Of Elections And Registration Meeting

***Athens Academy Moved to Nations Church***

Fran Leathers, chair of the Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration, told fellow Board members at their meeting last week that she had found a new voting home for Precinct 11, which formerly voted at Athens Academy.

On Nov. 3, the 2,758 registered voters in that precinct who opt to cast a ballot in person on election day will do so at Nations Church, 8780 Macon Highway, just south of the entrance to Athens Ridge student apartment complex.

Wednesday, September 09, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds 207 COVID-19 Cases and Three COVID-19 Deaths In Wednesday Daily Status Report

***University Of Georgia Reports 714 COVID-19 Positive Local Tests***

The Northeast Health District added 207 new COVID-19 cases and three deaths from the disease in the Department of Public Health’s Daily Status Report on Wednesday.

The new cases pushed the seven-day rolling average of added cases up to 219.4 on Wednesday from 216.9 on Tuesday. The seven-day rolling average of added deaths remained unchanged at 2.0 deaths per day.

Georgia House Candidate Wallace Focuses On Healthcare, Pandemic In Comments To Oconee County Democrats

***U.S. Senate Candidate Winfield Proposes Federal Job Guarantee***

Jonathan Wallace said he first decided to run to represent Georgia House District 119 in the special election back in 2017 largely because of his desire to provide support for public education in the state.

Once he was elected and served in the General Assembly in 2018, Wallace said, the range of issues that concerned him broadened, with the COVID-19 pandemic now taking center stage.

Tuesday, September 08, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds 285 COVID-19 Cases and Two Deaths From Disease In Light Reporting Day Following Holiday

***Deaths In Oconee And Clarke Counties***

The seven-day rolling averages of added COVID-19 cases and deaths in the Northeast Health District dropped on Tuesday, a day on which reporting to the Department of Public Health likely was suppressed by the holiday.

The Department of Public Health did add 285 cases in the 10-county Northeast Health District, with 206 of those from Clarke County. Oconee County added 13 case.

Monday, September 07, 2020

Department Of Public Health Reports Only 59 COVID-19 Cases In Northeast Health District On Monday, And No Deaths From Disease

***District Has Nearly 10 Percent Of Cases, Five Percent Of Population***

The Northeast Health District added only 59 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Monday, but it contributed just less than 10 percent of the cases added in the entire state.

Mondays usually are light reporting days to the Daily Status Report, and the state added only 612 cases on Monday, Labor Day. This was the first time the state had added fewer than 1,000 COVID-19 cases since June 22.

Sunday, September 06, 2020

Seven-Day Rolling Averages Of COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Increase Again On Sunday In Northeast Health District

***Sunday Averages Set New Records***

The seven-day rolling averages of COVID-19 cases and deaths continued to increase in the Northeast Health District with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Sunday.

Sunday traditionally is a day of light reporting, and the 10-county District added only 108 cases, but that figure was up from the 102 reported on Sunday a week ago, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases increased to 227.3 from 226.4 on Saturday.

Saturday, September 05, 2020

Clarke County Added 277 COVID-19 Cases And Two COVID-19 Deaths With Release Of Daily Status Report On Saturday

***More Than A Third Of Clarke County’s Cases Recorded Since UGA Reopened***

Clarke County reported 277 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and two deaths from the disease on Saturday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The 277 new COVID-19 cases top the previous record of 173 recorded by the county on Thursday. Clarke County has recorded 1,346 new COVID-19 cases since the University of Georgia began the Fall semester on Aug. 20, or just more than a third of the 3,687 cases recorded in the county.

Time And Date Set For Oconee County Board Of Education Virtual Candidate Forum

***Registration Required; Citizens Pose Questions***

The four candidates seeking election to the Oconee County Board of Education in November have agreed to meet in a virtual candidate forum via Zoom from 8 to 9:30 p.m. on Sept. 17.

The forum is open to the public, but those wishing to participate are being asked to register in advance.

Citizens also are being given a chance to submit questions to be posed to the four candidates.

Friday, September 04, 2020

Rolling Averages of COVID-19 Cases And Deaths Increase On Friday In Northeast Health District

***Oconee County Schools Reports Drop In Active COVID-19 Cases***

The 10-county Northeast Health District added 201 new confirmed COVID-19 cases and four deaths from the disease with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Friday.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases increased from 184.1 on Thursday to 192.3 on Friday, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths increased from 2.6 on Thursday to 2.9 on Friday.

Thursday, September 03, 2020

Clarke County Adds Record New COVID-19 Confirmed Cases, Pushing Seven-Day Rolling Average For Northeast Health District To New High

***Clarke Also Adds A COVID-19 Death***

Led by the addition of COVID-19 cases in Clarke County, the seven-day rolling average of added cases in the 10-county Northeast Health District increased to 184.1 on Thursday from 165.4 the day before.

The Department of Public Health Daily Status Report listed 173 new cases of the disease in Clarke County, the largest single-day increase ever recorded in the county. The earlier record had been 154 new cases on Tuesday.

Wednesday, September 02, 2020

Seven-Day Rolling Averages Of COVID-19 Cases And Deaths In Northeast Health District Climb on Wednesday

***Across The State, Cases Are Declining***

The Northeast Health District added 189 confirmed COVID-19 cases and three deaths attributed to the disease with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Wednesday.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases in the 10-county district jumped from 159.6 on Tuesday to 165.4 on Wednesday, the highest point that average has ever reached. The previous high had been 160.4 a month ago, on Aug. 2.

Tuesday, September 01, 2020

Northeast Health District Adds Record Number Of Deaths From COVID-19 And Of Confirmed Cases Of The Disease

***Clarke County Leads In Deaths And Cases***

The Department of Public Health, in Tuesday’s Daily Status Report, listed 10 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District, a record number for a single day, with four of those deaths in Athens-Clarke County.

The Northeast Health District also added 294 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, also a record, with 154 of those in Clarke County.