Oconee County Reports Two New COVID-19 Deaths As Northeast Health District Reports Record 13 Confirmed Deaths From Disease

***Two Additional Deaths In Long-Term Care Homes***

The Northeast Health District added 13 confirmed COVID-19 deaths–a new record–with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Thursday as well as 547 new cases of the disease.

The Department of Community Health reported two additional deaths in the Northeast Health District in its Long-Term Care Facility Report on Thursday.

Two of the confirmed deaths in the Daily Status Report were in Oconee County, which also had a confirmed death in the Wednesday Report, and the county now has 45 confirmed deaths from COVID-19.

Northeast Health District Adds 14 COVID-19 Deaths In Wednesday State Health Reports, 422 New Cases

***Four Of The Deaths Are In Oconee County***

State health reports on Friday listed 14 previously unreported deaths from COVID-19 in the Northeast Health District as well as 422 new cases of the disease.

Four of those deaths–one in the Department of Public Health Report and three in the Department of Community Health Report–were in Oconee County.

The Oconee County death listed in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report was of a 78-year-old male with a chronic condition. Department of Public Health listings are of confirmed COVID-19 deaths, and Oconee County now has 43 such deaths.

Oconee County Planning Commission Recommends Against Approval Of Proposed Shopping Center At Mars Hill Road And Oconee Connector

***Publix Has Contract As Center Anchor***

The Oconee County Planning Commission voted 8 to 0 on Tuesday night to recommend to the Board of Commission that it deny the rezone request for a major shopping center at the intersection of Mars Hill Road and the Oconee Connector.

The Commission took its vote after a relatively short discussion following a public hearing in which citizens voiced strong opposition to the project, raising concerns about the environmental impact of the project and about traffic created by it.

Northeast Health District Adds Record Number Of COVID-19 Deaths On Tuesday

***Clarke County Reports Second COVID-19 Death In As Many Days***

The Northeast Health District recorded a record 12 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 with the release on Tuesday of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report.

The added deaths resulted in a jump in the seven-day rolling average of added, confirmed deaths to 7.7 deaths per day, up from 6.6 deaths per day on Monday.

The Daily Status Report also listed 489 new COVID-19 cases, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped to 476.9 from 494.3 on Monday.

Rolling Average Of Added COVID-19 Cases Continues To Decrease In Northeast Health District; Rolling Average of Deaths Increases

***Clarke County Adds Another COVID-19 Death***

The Northeast Health District added 267 new COVID-19 cases on Monday and two deaths from the disease. The seven-day rolling average of added cases continued to decline, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths continued to increase.

The two deaths were of an 84-year-old male in Clarke County with a chronic condition and of a 77-year-old female in Walton County with a chronic condition.

The deaths bring to 77 the number from COVID-19 in Clarke County and to 104 the number from the disease in Walton County.

Developer Of Proposed Shopping Center At Mars Hill Road And Oconee Connector Rejects Compromise On Access To Connector

***Also Dismisses Environmental Concerns***

The developer of a proposed shopping center at the intersection of Mars Hill Road and the Oconee Connector has rejected a compromise offered by the county’s planning staff regarding an entrance to the commercial complex off the Oconee Connector.

The county planning staff recommended that the proposed entrance allow only right-in and right-out traffic, rather than the complete signalized entrance the developer had sought.

At present, the 47-acre parcel does not have any access off the Connector.

Rolling Average Of Added COVID-19 Cases Drops For Fourth Day In Row With Addition Of 325 New Cases In Northeast Health District

***No New Deaths Added***

The Northeast Health District added 325 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report, resulting in a drop in the seven-day rolling average of added cases for the fourth day in a row.

The Sunday Daily Status Report did not include any new deaths from the coronavirus, as had been the case on Sunday a week ago, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths remained unchanged at 6.4 deaths per day.