Letter from Congressman Doug Collins
News March 11, 2020
Dear Friends,
As we learn more about coronavirus and its impact on our communities throughout Georgia, I wanted to provide a quick update on the latest developments and the steps you can take to protect yourself, your family, and your communities.
CPAC and COVID-19
As you may have seen, I was notified yesterday afternoon that I interacted with an individual at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) who has recently been diagnosed with COVID-19. The interaction was very brief and I did not spend an extended amount of time with this individual. While I feel completely healthy and I am not experiencing any symptoms, I have decided to self-quarantine at my home for the remainder of the 14-day period out of an abundance of caution. I have spoken to my doctor in the Attending Physician’s Office and will continue to follow their guidance, and I will provide an update to the general public should anything change.
As you continue to monitor the news and take the precautions necessary to stay healthy, let me be clear: There is no reason to panic. The U.S. government has been preparing for this moment, and Georgians should feel reassured about the actions being taken to prevent the spread of the virus.
Congressional Action
Last week, the House passed the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which the President signed into law, to ensure our country is equipped with the resources needed to fight the spread of COVID-19. This emergency funding will provide nearly $8 billion in funding to speed the development of vaccines, increase access to testing and treatments, and expand access to telemedicine services so more people can see their doctor remotely.
How to Stay Healthy
While our government and public health officials continue working to keep our communities healthy, there are actions you and your families can take to stop the spread of this virus.
Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds
Avoid touching your face
Cover your mouth when you cough and sneeze
Stay home if you are sick
If you exhibit any symptoms, contact your health care provider
For more information on how to stay healthy, visit the CDC’s website by clicking here.
Questions About Travel
If you or your families are planning to travel domestically or abroad, you may be interested in the following resources.
CDC travel health notices can be found by clicking here
The State Department’s international travel guidance is available here
Specific country advisories are listed on the State Department’s website here
If you experience any symptoms – fever, cough, shortness of breath – please be sure to contact your health care provider immediately.
We will be sure to keep you updated as we go forward. For additional resources, please visit the CDC’s website here or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
Yours in service,
Doug Collins
Member of Congress
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com
Five New Presumptive Positive COVID-19 Cases in Georgia
Announcements, Featured March 11, 2020
ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is awaiting confirmatory testing from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on five new presumptive positive cases of COVID-19 in Georgia. The additional cases are in Charlton County, Fulton County and three in Cobb County. All but one individual (Fulton) are hospitalized. One of the Cobb presumptive positives has a travel history outside of the country, the sources of the other infections are unknown.
Confirmed cases of COVID-19 and presumed positive cases of COVID-19 are broken down by county as follows:
Confirmed COVID-19 (6)
Fulton County 3
Floyd County 1
Polk County 1
Cobb 1
Presumptive Positive COVID-19 (16)
Fulton 3
Cobb 6
Fayette 1
DeKalb 2
Gwinnett 2
Cherokee 1
Charlton 1
The overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low, although elderly people and individuals with chronic medical conditions may be have increased risk for COVID-19. The best prevention measures for any respiratory virus are:
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
If you have recently traveled to areas where there are ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 and develop fever with cough and shortness of breath within 14 days of your travel, or if you have had contact with someone who is suspected to have COVID-19, stay home and call your health care provider or local health department right away. Be sure to call before going to a doctor’s office, emergency room, or urgent care center and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
Follow DPH’s Facebook and Twitter pag
For accurate and reliable information about COVID-19 log on tohttps://dph.georgia.gov/
DPH preparations for potential spread of COVID-19
News February 27, 2020
ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is working closely with the CDC, and state partners to prepare for a potential outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S., including Georgia. The goal is to quickly identify cases of COVID-19 and take the appropriate public health action to reduce its spread and protect the general public. It is important to note that at this time, the overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low.
“We urge Georgians to prepare for hurricanes or flooding or take measures to prevent flu, so preparing for an outbreak of COVID-19 is no different,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D., M.P.H., DPH commissioner. “DPH is working to make sure our health systems, first responders and county health departments have the resources they need to respond to a COVID-19 outbreak.”
DPH already has a detailed pandemic flu plan that was developed in partnership with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, the Georgia Department of Education and other state agencies, and will be adapted for a COVID-19 outbreak in the state. DPH has responded to other serious disease outbreaks, including Ebola and Zika virus and each instance has provided new insight and guidance and highlighted the need to be as prepared as we can be.
DPH Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) is providing CDC information and guidance about COVID-19 to all health care and hospital facilities throughout Georgia, and holding weekly calls with the entire public health and hospital/health care community to update information and answer questions.
DPH epidemiologists are on-call 24/7 to help health care providers evaluate individuals presenting with symptoms of COVID-19 to ensure that possible cases are managed safely, support laboratory testing and implement recommendations from the CDC. In the event of COVID-19 in Georgia, epidemiologists would also be monitoring outbreaks and recommending control strategies, including guidance regarding testing and isolation.
Should it become necessary, DPH may recommend appropriate community mitigation measures for affected communities, such as temporary closure of child care facilities and schools/colleges and universities, school and workplace social distancing measures, and postponement or cancellation of mass gatherings. Additionally, businesses should consider ways to implement strategies to reduce the impact of a potential COVID-19 outbreak on their workforce, including teleworking and cross-training employees on essential job functions.
The same measures that are urged to prevent the spread of any respiratory virus are increasingly important for all Georgians:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cough or sneeze into your elbow or use a tissue to cover it, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
The best prevention against the flu is vaccination. Flu is still widespread and active in Georgia – it’s not too late to get a flu shot.
Passenger screening at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport is ongoing. This is to identify people coming from China who may have been exposed to and are at risk of developing COVID-19, and to provide appropriate assessment and monitoring to protect the general public.
COVID-19 is rapidly evolving and guidance is subject to change. The preparations currently underway in Georgia are based on the best scientific information we have from the CDC. DPH will continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation, and work with state partners and health care communities to incorporate the most up to date guidance in our planning and preparation efforts.
DPH will continue to update Georgians through our website
https://dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus, our Facebook page and our Twitter account. It is important to remember that the most accurate and timely information regarding this outbreak is available through DPH or the CDC’s website https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.
About the Georgia Department of Public Health
The Georgia Department of Public Health is the lead agency in preventing disease, injury and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing for and responding to disasters from a health perspective. For more information about DPH, visit www.dph.ga.gov.
Fetch Your News is a hyper local news outlet that covers Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Fannin, Gilmer, Pickens, Union, Towns and Murray counties as well as Cherokee County in N.C. FYN attracts 300,000+ page views per month, 3.5 million impressions per month and approximately 15,000 viewers per week on FYNTV.com and up to 60,000 Facebook page reach. If you would like to follow up-to-date local events in any of those counties, please visit us at FetchYourNews.com