Yesterday, WZQZ News reported that state health officials are monitoring the uptick in COVID-19 cases in Northwest Georgia.  Dr. Gary Vocio with the Northwest Georgia Department of Public Health says that it is too soon to say if the uptick could be considered a “trend”.  The increase in cases is being seen statewide.

COVID-19 hospitalizations have risen 8.4%in Georgia but the CDC says that’s still lower than we’ve seen in the past three summers. There’s been a steady decline in the number of COVID-19 cases over the past six months, but there has never been a month with zero cases reported since the COVID-19 pandemic ended.

In the latest report from the Georgia Department of Public Health released on Wednesday of this week, Chattooga County reported 17 new COVID-19 cases.  Lyerly First Baptist Church suspended services on Wednesday evening due to COVID exposure, according to the church’s Facebook page.

Health authorities are stressing the importance of keeping up with annual vaccines as the fall nears and other upper respiratory viruses return.  The good news is, people are unlikely to be hospitalized or die from the virus as nearly 96% of Americans have either been infected by COVID, or have been vaccinated.