- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
North GA – In order to protect our clients, health department staff, residents and communities and to better shift our focus on our coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic response, the North Georgia Health District is limiting services to only the most crucial public health services.
At all public health departments in *Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties, these are the services that are currently offered until further notice:
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- Birth Control
- STD/HIV testing
- Immunizations for children 5 years of age and under
- Tdap vaccinations
- Hepatitis A vaccinations
- Medicaid enrollment for women’s health and pregnancy
- WIC vouchers
*The Woodstock health department clinic will only provide Vital Records services at this time.
Protective measures in place at our county health departments, include:
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- Residents are urged to make an appointment for services.
- Visitors will be screened at health department entrances for symptoms of COVID-19, including fever or cough, or if they have tested positive for the virus.
- To help limit the number of people entering the health department and maintain social distancing, adult clients are asked to enter the health department alone, instructing any other adults or older teens who may be accompanying them to remain outside or in their vehicle.
- Children who are clients are to be accompanied by one adult.
These measures are in place for the safety of our clients, health department staff, residents and communities.
Local county health departments in North Georgia may be reached at the following numbers:
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- Cherokee: Canton (770) 345-7371 Woodstock: (770) 928-0133
- Fannin (706) 632-3023
- Gilmer (706) 635-4363
- Murray (706) 695-4585
- Pickens (706) 253-2821
- Whitfield (706) 279-9600
We regret this inconvenience to the public, but it is part of the North Georgia Health District effort to protect our communities as we respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For easy access to the latest COVID-19 updates and recommendations from both the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), click on our COVID-19 Information for North Georgians page.
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- Written by Jennifer King, District Public Information Officer
- Category: Hot Topics
| Cherokee - Low | Murray - Low |
| Fannin - Low | Pickens - Low |
| Gilmer - Low | Whitfield - Low |
Our District's Latest COVID-19 Updates:
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) follows the guidance and recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for all COVID-19 vaccine, at all stages of dosage, including the Updated Bivalent COVID-19 Boosters. Access the latest recommendations for all approved doses of COVID-19 vaccine and eligibilities HERE and note that all COVID-19 vaccine doses are available with no appointment needed at each county health department in the North Georgia Health District, which includes Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens, and Whitfield counties.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) continues to closely monitor an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by coronavirus (COVID-19) first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019, as well as its variants, and is regularly coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for information on the virus and the latest variants. Cases have been identified globally, in the United States, and in Georgia.
This continues to be an evolving situation and information is subject to change, so here is where you can conveniently link to all updated information from both Georgia DPH and the CDC.
There have been over 2 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia and thousands of related deaths. However, there are now over 6 million Georgians fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including nearly 250,000 residents in the North Georgia Health District. Click here to go to the Georgia DPH COVID-19 Status Report.
Eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine and live or work in Georgia?
Learn More... Click HERE.
Dr. Pablo Perez, internist in Dalton GA, receives a COVID-19 vaccination from Robin Coffey, registered nurse for the Whitfield County Health Department, on Dec.18, 2020, as the initial roll-out of COVID-19 vaccine begins in North Georgia and statewide to healthcare workers and first responders.
CHEROKEE - FANNIN - GILMER
MURRAY - PICKENS - WHITFIELD
Click HERE for Health District Overview All posted data was captured on 2-6-2024
Updated COVID-19 Status in Georgia Report
Click here to find Georgia's COVID-19 daily status of case and hospitalizations with interactive charts and graphs.
Updated COVID-19 Vaccine Status in Georgia Report
Click on the icon for the latest vaccine updates and access the Georgia DPH Dashboard for all the latest COVID-19 vaccine data in Georgia.
Updated COVID-19 Testing Information
COVID-19 testing is available to all Georgians who request it, whether they have symptoms or not. Get updated information about COVID-19 testing and test providers in Georgia.
Updated COVID-19 Guidance
Find out the latest COVID-19 Guidance provided by the Georgia Department of Public health, including procedures and protocols to help stop the spread.
Check out the PDF version of a children’s book that helps children understand our COVID-19 pandemic world when returning to school. Below is the book titled “I Am Going Back To School”, written by Aileen Mui and Vivian Wong - just click on the book below provided in English and Spanish and share with family, friends and associates who have children going back to school.
State and Federal Response Websites:
CDC
Georgia Department of Public Health
- Hits: 84208
- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
Take Advantage of the Opportunity to Keep Them Safe
North Georgia – Vaccinate your preteen today to protect them and their healthy future.
In an effort to keep every adult and child safe, all six counties in the North Georgia Health District are joining the Georgia Department of Public Health in recognizing March 9-13, 2020 as Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week. This week serves as a reminder for parents to talk with their preteens and teens about getting immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases.
Vaccines for preteens are available at the public health departments in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties.
“Every parent wants to protect their child and see them live a healthy life, yet many times parents don’t see vaccination as an urgent need,” said Sheila Lovett, Immunization Program director for the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Vaccinating your child is the single best way to protect them from preventable diseases, so we urge parents to prioritize vaccinations.”
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health Rule (511-2-2), all students born on or after January 1, 2002, entering or transferring into seventh grade and any “new entrant” into eighth - 12th grades in Georgia need proof of receiving one dose of adolescent pertussis (whooping cough) booster vaccination (called “Tdap”) AND one dose of adolescent meningococcal conjugate vaccination (MenACWY). Effective July 1, 2020, children sixteen years of age and older who are attending eleventh grade must receive a booster dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine, unless their initial dose was administered on or after their sixteenth birthday. This law affects all public and private schools including, but not limited to, charter schools, community schools, juvenile court schools and other alternative school settings (excluding homeschool).
Vaccines are the best defense we have against serious, preventable and sometimes deadly contagious diseases. They help avoid expensive therapies and hospitalization needed to treat infectious diseases like influenza and meningitis. Immunizations also reduce absences both at school and after school activities and decrease the spread of illness at home, school and the community.
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently routinely recommends the following vaccines for preteens and teens:
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- Tetanus, Diphtheria and Pertussis (Tdap)
- Influenza (flu)
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Meningococcal Disease (MenACWY)
Georgia Preteen Vaccine Awareness Week is an opportunity to raise awareness through schools, health care providers and the media regarding preteen immunizations, particularly Georgia’s pertussis and meningococcal requirements for incoming seventh-grade students. Speak with your physician today to find out if your preteen is up-to-date.
For more information, click here.
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- Written by Jennifer King
- Category: Media Releases
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