In The News

Everything you need to know about getting a COVID-19 booster shot

The Gist: The CDC has formally made its recommendations on the booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccines. In Georgia, the state department of public health is following that guidance. First thing's first: The guidance only applies to the Pfizer vaccine. If you got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the FDA has not issued any recommendations yet for boosters of those vaccines. What is a booster?: In the case of coronavirus vaccine, the booster shot would be a third dose that would come several months after you have completed the initial two-dose vaccination. Who should get a booster shot?:…

UGA faculty members are planning to impose a mask mandate

The University System of Georgia is trying to fend off a rebellion from a group of University of Georgia faculty determined to impose a mask mandate in violation of system policy. A letter from Jeffrey Bennetzen, a geneticist at UGA, dated Sept. 20 served notice of plans for the mask mandate to discourage the spread of COVID-19. “In order to protect our students, staff and faculty colleagues, we will wear masks and will require all of our students and staff to wear masks in our classes and laboratories until local community transmission rates improve, despite the ban on mask mandates…

Turtles stolen from Autrey Mill Nature Preserve

JOHNS CREEK -- Autrey Mill Nature Preserve in Johns Creek is asking for your help finding five box turtles that were stolen from the preserve over the weekend. The five box turtles were stolen out of their enclosure. If you have any information or know anything, please call the nature preserve at 678-366-3511. According to nature preserve officials, the box turtles have all been raised in captivity and are very unlikely to survive in the wild. Box turtles are illegal to keep as pets in the state of Georgia and Autrey Mill has a special permit to keep the turtles…

Georgia will get less monoclonal antibodies as feds take over supply

A recent surge in demand for powerful Covid antibody drugs has generated concerns about supply shortages in states that are heavy users of the treatment, including Georgia. About 70 percent of these lab-created drugs are being used in the Southeast. With that uneven distribution, federal health officials recently decided to take over supplies and allocate them through state agencies. Georgia and other Southern states are expected to get less supply of the monoclonal antibody drugs while the shortage continues. To be most effective, the antibody cocktails must be given within 10 days of Covid infection or exposure. Michael Purvis, CEO…

Brian Kemp teams up with Monica Kaufman Pearson to encourage vaccines

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp have teamed up with beloved Georgia broadcaster, WSB-TV’s Monica Kaufman Pearson, for an important video announcement about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine. For more information about the benefits of the COVID-19 vaccine and where the vaccines are currently available, visit the Georgia Department of Public Health's website. Below is the video released by Kemp's office. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h5i0iCMVIY According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, 46% of Georgians are fully vaccinated and 53% of Georgians have gotten at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

One dead after shooting in Norcross lounge parking lot

NORCROSS -- The Gwinnett Police Department is investigating a homicide that occurred in the parking lot of 4771 Britt Rd. Shortly after 2:50 am, an off-duty officer working security at a karaoke restaurant heard shots being fired nearby. The off-duty officer drove through the parking lot of the shopping center, and located one man on the ground, dead, in the parking lot outside of 11 Lounge. Two more men were located with gunshot wounds and were transported to a local hospital. They are being treated for their injuries. Police have not released the deceased victim’s name until the next of kin is notified.…

Georgia colleges report decrease in COVID-19 cases

New cases of COVID-19 on University System of Georgia campuses started to come down this week after increasing at the beginning of the fall semester. The number of positive tests reported at nine schools – including the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech – declined this week, mirroring a trend that occurred at the same time last year. “Whenever we see a decline in cases, we are grateful, and we hope this downward trend holds,” said Dr. Shelley Nuss, co-chair of UGA’s Medical Oversight Task Force. “We saw a similar pattern last fall: a peak in cases shortly after we…

Here are the changes to how Valdosta City Schools will handle quarantine

Valdosta City Schools released new COVID-19 quarantine guidelines earlier this week. Below is the information from the news release sent out by the school district so you can see the changes and reasons straight from the horse's mouth. On Tuesday, September 14, the Valdosta Board of Education adopted new COVID-19 quarantine guidance in accordance with the administrative order released by the Georgia Department of Public Health. The Georgia Department of Health issued the following guidance to schools: “…recognizing the importance of in-person learning, we have issued an updated administrative order related to quarantine. Schools may now elect to adhere to…

Here’s how Georgia students did on the SAT

For the fourth year in a row, Georgia public-school students outperformed their counterparts in the nation’s public schools on the SAT. The mean score of 1077 Georgia students recorded was 39 points higher than the national average for public-school students. According to a report issued Wednesday by the state Department of Education, Georgia’s public-school class of 2021 also recorded significant increases in scores compared to the class of 2020. The mean score for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) rose from 532 in 2020 to 546 in 2021, and the mean for math rose from 511 in 2020 to 531 in…

Most coronavirus outbreaks in Georgia are happening at schools

About 60 percent of current Covid outbreaks in Georgia are occurring in K-12 schools across the state, public health officials said Tuesday. That’s seven times more than the child outbreaks in previous virus surges, Cherie Drenzek, the state epidemiologist, told the board of the Department of Public Health. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths among children have reached their highest levels during the current surge of the pandemic, she added. And many of the infections are hitting 12- to 18-year-olds, who are eligible for vaccinations. The kids’ infection jump coincides with the opening of schools across the state. Many have closed and…

Taliaferro County’s public school shut down due to COVID

Due to students and faculty members either having tested positive or being in close proximity to people who have tested positive for COVID, Taliaferro County's one public school is shutting down at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. Thursday and Friday instruction will be virtual. Intercession will also be held via virtual instruction. The school system will also be delivering breakfast and lunch next Monday and Wednesday.

Here’s what Georgians are saying on the 20th anniversary of 9/11

The 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks have been a time to remember and reflect on the tragic events of 2001. Georgians shared their memories, reflections, and feelings on social media to mark 20 years since planes struck the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. Below is a sampling of how your fellow Georgians are reflecting on this date that will truly never be forgotten. https://twitter.com/LSLee16/status/1436706843489878029 https://twitter.com/JoeyStone_8/status/1436720308090716165 https://twitter.com/UniteOurVoices/status/1436667255908143107 https://twitter.com/sydsully/status/1436789932631207936 https://twitter.com/richroseagency/status/1436739410037329921 https://twitter.com/LoriArmistead/status/1436797090705911808 https://twitter.com/MJMotorsports1/status/1436792165422751746 https://twitter.com/mtparanschool/status/1436698468689514497 https://twitter.com/themerrylibrary/status/1436682460839006213 https://twitter.com/LoriArmistead/status/1436677713100689410 https://twitter.com/SandySprings_PD/status/1436672581139144705 https://twitter.com/GeorgiaGuard/status/1436673502980022273 https://twitter.com/CoachRoyPeek/status/1436672137197232129 https://twitter.com/taylor_ussery1/status/1436672455536484352 https://twitter.com/michaelcaldwell/status/1436720687335591940 https://twitter.com/ClarkBRHomes/status/1436675901689896968 https://twitter.com/BrianKempGA/status/1436683524610871296

Vaccine mandate may stop nurse job jumping

Georgia hospital officials were scrambling Friday to gauge the impact of President Biden’s order for health care workers to get vaccinated for Covid-19. The mandate would apply to health care facilities that treat Medicare and Medicaid patients – virtually all hospitals – as well as dialysis centers, surgery centers and home care operations. The new order, if it ultimately takes effect, would appear to end the trend of nurses who don’t want the shots leaving for positions at hospitals with no vaccination mandates. Georgia hospital officials say such job-jumping has occurred here, with hospitals that don’t require vaccinations getting new…

Gorillas at Zoo Atlanta test positive for COVID-19

The Gist: Several of Zoo Atlanta's Gorillas have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Zoo officials. Zoo Atlanta has received presumptive positive test results indicating that members of its western lowland gorilla troops are positive for the COVID-19 virus. How They Got It: While it cannot be known with certainty how the gorillas acquired the virus, the Animal Care and Veterinary Teams say they believe the infections originated with a COVID-positive care team member. The team member is fully vaccinated, was wearing Personal Protective Equipment, and was asymptomatic on the day of reporting to work. While humans are known to be…

Fightin’ Words: Kemp and Biden spar over vaccine mandates

The war of words between President Joe Biden and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp over new White House COVID mandates continued Friday afternoon, with Kemp accusing the administration of playing “pandemic politics.”“Look, the public already doesn’t trust the federal government because of the mixed messages about the coronavirus,” Kemp told Capitol Beat. “This is pandemic politics from a president who promised to unite the country, but instead is dividing us.”On Thursday, the Biden White House issued a new, six-pronged series of COVID mandates, including a requirement for all employers with more than 100 workers to mandate either vaccinations or weekly tests. “This…