Sunday, February 28, 2021

Seven-Day Rolling Average Added COVID-19 Cases In Northeast Health District Has Increased Five Days Running

***District Lagging State In Vaccinations***

The Northeast Health District added 99 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases increased for the fifth day in a row.

The District did not add any new deaths in the Sunday Daily Status Report of the Department of Public Health, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths remained unchanged at 5.4.

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Rolling Average Added COVID-19 Cases Increasing Again In Northeast Health District; Rolling Average Added Deaths Declines

***Deaths Are In Elbert, Walton Counties, Which Lead In Mortality***

The Northeast Health District experienced an increase in the seven-day rolling average of added cases for the fourth day in a row on Saturday with the addition of 211 new cases of the disease.

The Daily Status Report listed three new confirmed deaths from the disease, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths declined on Saturday.

Construction Scheduled To Begin In 2024 For SR 316 Intersection Projects In Oconee County

***GDOT Wants To “Transform” Gwinnett-To-Oconee Corridor***

Construction is scheduled to begin in 2024 on four of nine intersection projects in Oconee County that are part of a massive effort to transform SR 316 into what the Georgia Department of Transportation is calling “a freeway-style corridor.”

Included in the initial construction is a “bundle” of projects that will include multi-grade intersections at the Oconee Connector and SR 316 and at Jimmy Daniell Road and SR 316.

The “bundle” also includes a bridge carrying Virgil Langford Road, currently blocked, across SR 316.

Friday, February 26, 2021

Seven-Day Rolling Average Of Added COVID-19 Deaths Declines In Northeast Health District But Rolling Average Of Added Cases Increases

***Oconee Schools Reports Increases In Cases, Quarantines***

With the addition of only one confirmed COVID-19 death in Friday’s Daily Status Report, the seven-day rolling average of added deaths dropped sharply, but the seven-day rolling average of added cases increased for the third day in a row.

The Department of Public Health added 214 new COVID-19 cases in Friday’s Daily Status Report.

Oconee County Schools also reported an increase in the number of Active COVID-19 Cases and Active Quarantines Due To Close Contact.

Thursday, February 25, 2021

Rolling Averages Of Added COVID-19 Deaths, Cases Increase Again In Northeast Health District

***Cases Also Increase In Oconee, Clarke Counties***

For the second day in a row, the rolling averages of both confirmed COVID-19 deaths and cases of the disease increased in the Northeast Health District on Thursday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The District added nine new deaths from COVID-19 and 179 new cases of the disease.

The deaths included a 56-year-old male in Greene County with a chronic condition and an 86-year-old female in Jackson County without a chronic condition.

Wednesday, February 24, 2021

Rolling Averages Of COVID-19 Deaths And Cases Rise In Northeast Health District With Release Of State Health Report

***Number Of COVID-19 Patients At Area Hospitals Falls Sharply***

The seven-day rolling averages both of added COVID-19 deaths and of added cases increased in the Northeast Health District on Wednesday with the release of the Department of Public Health’s Daily Status Report.

The 10-county District added 11 confirmed deaths, including three in Clarke County, and 178 cases.

The Clarke County deaths were of a 64-year-old male, a 77-year-old male, and 90-plus-year-old male, none of whom had a chronic condition. Clarke County added two deaths on Tuesday and one on Monday and now has 112 confirmed COVID-19 deaths.

Oconee County’s State Legislators Playing Prominent Role In Debate On Changes In Election Laws

***House And Senate Considering Bills***

The Georgia Senate passed four bills on Tuesday, including two sponsored by Sen. Bill Cowsert, who represents Oconee County, making changes to Georgia’s election laws.

The bills now go to the House, which has its own more far-reaching bill under consideration that was sponsored by six Republican members of a Special Committee on Election Integrity.

Houston Gaines, who represents three of Oconee County’s 12 precincts in the Georgia House of Representatives, is a member of that Special Committee, which now will review it before House action.

Tuesday, February 23, 2021

Northeast Health District Has Large Drop In Added Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths; Oconee Reported Two Deaths, Clarke One

***Number Of COVID-19 Patients At Area Hospitals Increased***

The Northeast Health District added five confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in Tuesday’s Daily Status Report, with one of those in Oconee County and two in Clarke County.

The five deaths were down dramatically from the 16 added on Tuesday of last week, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths fell from 7.6 on Monday to 6.0 on Tuesday.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases also declined.

Monday, February 22, 2021

Northeast Health District Adds Nine Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths, And Rolling Average Of Added Deaths Increased; Cases Decline

***Early Voting For ELOST Off To Slow Start***

The Northeast Health District added nine confirmed COVID-19 deaths with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Monday, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths increased to 7.6 deaths per day.

The District added only 56 new cases of COVID-19, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped to 128.6 cases per day.

The confirmed deaths were spread across six of the 10 counties in the Northeast Health District.

Sunday, February 21, 2021

Seven-Day Rolling Average Of Added COVID-19 Cases In Northeast Health District Continues To Decline

***Seven-Day Rolling Average Of Death Unchanged***

The Northeast Health District added only 78 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and no deaths from the disease. The seven-day rolling average of added cases declined, while the seven-day rolling average of added deaths remained unchanged.

Sundays are light reporting days to the Department of Public Health from labs and agencies around the state, but last Sunday’s Daily Status Report had listed 92 new cases of the disease.

Saturday, February 20, 2021

Early Voting Starts Monday For Oconee County Education Local Option Sales Tax Referendum

***Goal Is To Move Ahead On Third Middle School***

Oconee County Schools plans to sell general obligation bonds before the middle of June and move forward with building and then opening a third middle school in the Fall of 2023 if voters approve the sales tax referendum on the March 16 ballot.

The issue is being put before the voters early–the current sales tax authorization does not expire until the end of 2022–in order to take advantage of low interest rates and to avoid increased costs due to inflation, according to school officials.

Northeast Health District Adds Eight Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths, Including One In Clarke County

***Rolling Averages Added Deaths, Cases Declined***

The Northeast Health District added eight confirmed COVID-19 deaths, including one in Clarke County, with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Saturday, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths fell slightly.

The 10-county District also added 132 new cases of the disease, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases continued to decline.

Friday, February 19, 2021

Oconee County Adds COVID-19 Death, But Rolling Averages Of Added COVID-19 Cases, Deaths Decline In Northeast Health District

***Oconee County Schools Reports Drops In Cases, Quarantines***

Oconee County added its 56th confirmed COVID-19 deaths on Friday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The death was one of 12 confirmed deaths in the 10-county Northeast Health District, which also added 172 new cases of the disease.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases and confirmed deaths declined, as the District had added 210 cases and 16 deaths on Friday of last week.

Analysis Of COVID-19 Death Number In State Health Reports Suggests Undercounts For Oconee County, Northeast Health District, State

***Oconee County Facility Reports Highlight Problem***

On Jan. 11, Oconee County’s St. Gabriel of Athens personal care home off Virgil Langford Road reported to the Department of Community Health its first two deaths from COVID-19 among its residents.

On Jan. 20, St. Gabriel’s reported three more deaths from COVID-19, and on Jan. 26 it reported one more death.

The next day, Jan. 27, it reported two more, bringing its total to eight.

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Addition Of Seven Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths Pushed Up Rolling Average Of Added Deaths In Northeast Health District

***Rolling Average Of Added Cases Continues To Decline***

The seven-day rolling average of added COVID-19 deaths rose again in the Northeast Health District on Thursday as the Department of Public Health listed seven deaths in its Daily Status Report.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases continued to decline.

The deaths were of a 69-year-old female and a 90-plus-year-old male in Elbert County, an 87-year-old male in Greene County, an 81-year-old female in Jackson County, a 90-plus-year-old female in Morgan County, and a 72-year-old male and an 88-year-old male in Walton County.

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Rolling Averages Of Added COVID-19 Cases And Deaths From Disease Decline In Northeast Health District

***2.7 Percent Of District’s Residents Received Vaccine Dose II***

The Northeast Health District added 139 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday and one confirmed death from the disease, resulting in declines in the seven-day rolling averages of both cases and deaths.

The confirmed death was of an 83-year-old female with a chronic condition in Madison County. The death brings to 35 the number in the county attributed to the virus.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Northeast Health District Adds 16 Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths, And Rolling Average Of Added Deaths Increases

***Rolling Average of Added Cases Declines***

The Northeast Health District added 16 confirmed COVID-19 Deaths on Tuesday, the second highest number recorded on a single day, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths increased.

The District, in Tuesday’s Department of Public Health Daily Status Report, added 167 new cases of the disease, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped again after a one-day increase on Monday.

Monday, February 15, 2021

Northeast Health District Two-Week Long Drop In Rolling Average Of Added COVID-19 Cases Halted; Two Deaths Reported

***District Lags State In Rate Of Vaccinations***

The Northeast Health District added 143 new cases of COVID-19 with the release of Monday’s Department of Public Health Daily Status Report and two confirmed deaths from the disease.

The addition of the new cases resulted in an increase in the seven-day rolling average of added cases to 174.7 from 170.9 on Sunday. The District had added 116 cases last Monday.

The addition of the two confirmed deaths resulted in a decrease in the seven-day rolling average of added deaths to 5.9 on Monday from 6.3 on Sunday. The District had added five deaths on Monday of last week.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Northeast Health District Added 92 New COVID-19 Cases on Sunday And No Deaths From Disease

***Rolling Average Of Added Cases Drops***

The Department of Public Health listed only 92 new cases of COVID-19 and no new deaths from the disease in the Northeast Health District with the release of the Daily Status Report on Sunday.

Sundays are light reporting days, but the 92 new cases are less than half of the 186 reported last Sunday, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped to 170.9 on Sunday from 184.3 on Saturday.

Saturday, February 13, 2021

Northeast Health District Adds Nine COVID-19 Deaths And 182 Cases; Rolling Averages Of Deaths And Cases Decline

***Oconee County Records 53rd COVID-19 Confirmed Death***

The seven-day rolling average of added confirmed COVID-19 deaths and of added cases of the disease declined in the Northeast Health District on Saturday with the addition of nine new confirmed deaths from the disease and 182 new cases.

The Department of Public Health had reported 15 deaths on Saturday of last week, and, with the addition of the nine confirmed deaths, the seven-day rolling average of added deaths dropped to 6.3 on Saturday from 7.1 on Friday.

One of the added confirmed deaths was of a 56-year-old male without a chronic condition in Oconee County. The county now has 53 confirmed deaths from the disease. Oconee County also had added a death on Friday.

Friday, February 12, 2021

Northeast Health District Adds 16 Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths, And Rolling Average Of Added Deaths Increases

***Oconee And Clarke Both List Deaths From Disease***

The Northeast Health District added 16 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Friday, reversing the decline in the seven-day rolling average of added deaths from the disease.

The Daily Status Report included 210 new cases of COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District, and the rolling average of added cases continued to decline, falling for the 14th day in a row.

Oconee County Schools on Friday reported an increase in the number of Active Cases but a decline in the number of Active Quarantines from the disease.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Rolling Averages Of Added COVID-19 Deaths And Cases in Northeast Health District Continue To Decline

***One Of Added Deaths On Thursday In Clarke County***

COVID-19 deaths and cases continued to drop in the 10-county Northeast Health District on Thursday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The Report listed three confirmed deaths from the disease and 217 new cases, and the seven-day rolling average of both confirmed deaths and cases were down from the day before.

Included among the three confirmed deaths was a 90-plus-year old male in Clarke County without a chronic condition.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

With Addition Of Six Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths And 165 Cases In Northeast Health District, Averages Of Deaths And Cases Decline

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

The Northeast Health District added six confirmed deaths from COVID-19 and 165 new cases of the disease with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Wednesday.

The seven-day rolling average of added deaths has now declined for three days running, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases has declined for 12 days in a row.

Tuesday, February 09, 2021

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

***Rolling Averages Added Deaths, Cases In District Decline***

The Northeast Health District recorded five confirmed COVID-19 deaths in Tuesday’s Daily Status Report from the Department of Public Health and 214 new cases of the disease.

One of those five confirmed deaths was in Oconee County, and two were in Clarke County. The remaining two were in Walton County.

The seven-day rolling average of both confirmed deaths and cases in the 10-count Northeast Health District fell again on Tuesday.

Parent Calls On Oconee County Board of Education To Provide More Oversight Of Management Of County Schools

***Cites Findings Of Study Of Communication With Board***

John Phillips told the members of the Oconee County Board of Education on Monday that they need to exert direct leadership and oversight of the management of the school district.

He also said the Board should commission an unbiased survey of parents and conduct and commission an independent study of the leadership culture, decision-making, and communications of the current school administration.

Monday, February 08, 2021

Rolling Averages Of COVID-19 Cases And Deaths Decline With Release Of Department of Public Health Report

***Clarke County Has Confirmed COVID-19 Death***

The seven-day rolling average of added COVID-19 cases and deaths declined in the Northeast Health District on Monday as the Department of Public Health reported only 116 new cases and five confirmed deaths from the disease.

The confirmed deaths included a 59-year-old male in Clarke County without a chronic condition bringing to 98 the number of deaths in the county from COVID-19 since the pandemic began last year.

Sunday, February 07, 2021

Northeast Health District Adds 186 COVID-19 Cases And No Deaths From Disease

***Rolling Average Of Cases Falls Slightly, Deaths Unchanged***

The Northeast Health District added 186 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday and no new deaths from the disease with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped just slightly, from 251.3 on Saturday to 250.1 on Sunday, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths was unchanged, with an average of 8.6 added deaths per day.

Letter From University of Georgia Legal Clinic Calls On Oconee County School Board To Recognize First Amendment Rights

***Asks For Voluntary Change Of Policy And Procedures***

Representatives of the First Amendment Clinic in the School of Law at the University of Georgia are asking the Oconee County Board of Education to change its policies to recognize the first amendment rights of Oconee County community members.

In a nine-page-long letter sent to an attorney for the School Board on Friday, the clinic members asked the Board to live stream its meetings, provide video captioning of uploaded videos of meetings, and provide access for community members who wish to attend meetings virtually.

Saturday, February 06, 2021

Georgia Department Of Public Health Adds 15 Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths, 221 New Cases In Northeast Health District

***Clarke County Lists Two Confirmed Deaths From Disease***

The Department of Public Health added 15 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District with release of Saturday’s Daily Status Report.

The deaths were spread across six of the 10 counties in the District, with Clarke County adding two. Clarke County has added five deaths in the last three days.

The 15 deaths were not a record. That record was 19 and was set on Saturday of last week.

Friday, February 05, 2021

Rolling Averages Of Added COVID-19 Deaths And Cases Decline In Northeast Health District; Clarke Adds One Death

***Oconee County Schools Report Drop In Cases, Quarantines***

One of the three confirmed deaths from COVID-19 reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health in its Northeast Health District on Friday was in Clarke County, bringing to three the number of deaths in the county from the disease in the last two days.

The Department of Public Health, in its Friday Daily Status Report, listed 226 new cases of COVID-19, and the seven-day rolling average of both added confirmed deaths and added cases declined.

Thursday, February 04, 2021

Northeast Health District Adds Nine Confirmed COVID-19 Deaths, One In Oconee County And Two In Clarke County

***Rolling Average Of Added Cases Continues To Decline***

Oconee County and Clarke County both added confirmed COVID-19 deaths with the release of Thursday’s Department or Public Health Daily Status Report.

The Northeast Health District as a whole added nine confirmed deaths and 306 cases of COVID-19, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths increased while the seven-day rolling average of added cases continued to decline.

A confirmed death was recorded in seven of the 10 counties in the Northeast Health District.

Oconee County Board of Education Launches ELOST Campaign During Period Of Tension Over School Policy Regarding Pandemic

***March 16 Election Set For Referendum On Tax Continuation***

The Oconee County Board of Education tightly controls public comment at its meetings.

Citizens are not given an opportunity to speak at work sessions.

Those who register in advance are given five minutes to speak to the Board at the end of the regular meetings in what is termed the Public Communication section. Those who don’t register in advance are given three minutes.

Generally, few use either opportunity.

Wednesday, February 03, 2021

Oconee County Records 49th Death From COVID-19 In Wednesday Daily Status Report; 14 Deaths Across Northeast Health District

***COVID-19 Cases Continue To Decline***

Seven of the 10 counties in the Northeast Health District reported a COVID-19 death on Wednesday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The total number of added confirmed COVID-19 deaths in the Daily Status Report was 14, and the Report added 325 new cases of the disease.

One of those confirmed deaths was of an 80-year-old male with a chronic condition in Oconee County.

Tuesday, February 02, 2021

State Health Reports List 14 COVID-19 Deaths in Northeast Health District On Tuesday, Two In Oconee County And Four In Clarke County

***COVID-19 Cases Continue To Decline***

Both Oconee County and Clarke County reported two confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in the Tuesday Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The Northeast Health District as a whole reported 12 confirmed COVID-19 deaths and 362 cases with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The Department of Community Health also reported two deaths at area long-term care facilities in the Northeast Health District. Both were in Clarke County.

Monday, February 01, 2021

COVID-19 Cases Decline And Deaths From Disease Increase In Northeast Health District On Monday

***Clarke County Has One Of Seven Confirmed Deaths***

The number of added cases of COVID-19 continued to drop in the Northeast Health District on Monday while the number of deaths from the disease continued to increase.

The Department of Public Health Daily Status Report listed seven new confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in the 10-county District, while the Department of Community Health listed an additional death in its report on area long-term care facilities.

One of the confirmed deaths in Department of Public Health Report was in Clarke County and was of a 73-year-old female without a chronic condition. She is the 90th confirmed death from COVID-19 in Clarke County.