: Written by Jennifer King, Public Information Officer; Category: Media Releases

We recognize Cervical Health Awareness Month in January as a time to raise awareness about cervical cancer, HPV disease, and the importance of getting screened. Each year, more than 12,000 people in the U.S. get cervical cancer, but it can be prevented! View these Cervical Cancer Awareness resources from the CDC below to get informed and to help educate others online and in your community. You can also access and share the easy-to-understand MyHealthfinder as a resource and to encourage others to get screened for cervical cancer, plus, learn about the HPV vaccine. And don’t forget to explore the Healthy People Cancer topic to learn about progress made to reduce new cases of cancer!

Click on the name of your county to contact your local Health Department in Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens or Whitfield County to find out how you can receive the HPV vaccine or be screened for cervical cancer.

Cervical Cancer Awareness

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You can lower your risk for cervical cancer by getting screened regularly, starting at age 21

Ana’s Story

Audio Description Low Resolution Video
“I am empowered. I’m not afraid to question my doctors about my own health,” Ana says after being treated for cervical cancer. She shares her story in this video.

Screening Tests

Two tests help prevent cervical cancer or find it early—

The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers, which are cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately.
The human papillomavirus (HPV) test looks for the virus that can cause these cell changes.

Screening Options

Created: 01 January 2022

Last Updated: 08 April 2022

: Written by Jennifer King; Category: Media Releases

Our District Office and County Health Departments and Services are Closed Monday, January 3, 2022. The COVID-19 Testing Site in Whitfield County is Open Friday, Dec. 31st... All Others are Closed. All COVID-19 Testing Sites are Back to Normal Hours week of Monday, January 3, 2022. Happy New Year!

*Please note that Drive-thru PCR COVID-19 Testing in the North Georgia Health District is not operated by our county health departments but by MAKO Medical Services.

Created: 30 December 2021

Last Updated: 31 December 2021

: Written by Jennifer King, Public Information Officer; Category: Media Releases

Woodstock, GA – To facilitate increasing numbers of residents seeking COVID-19 testing in Cherokee County, MAKO Medical will move their drive-thru COVID-19 testing site at Action Church in Canton to JJ Biello Park in Woodstock. The new address is JJ Biello Park, Riverside Athletic Complex, 610 Druw Cameron Court, Woodstock, GA 30188. The final day for testing at Action Church is Thursday, December 30th. Testing will begin at JJ Biello Park on Monday, January 3, 2022. MAKO Medical will continue to provide free drive-thru COVID-19 PCR testing at the new site, and the hours will remain Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM.

PCR testing is done by nasal swab to determine the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Anyone who has COVID-19 type symptoms or has been in close contact recently with a person infected with the virus needs to be tested for COVID-19, even if they are fully vaccinated. There are no eligibility requirements other than having a Georgia address and registering online at https://mako.exchange/splash/GAmakotesting/.

Created: 29 December 2021

Last Updated: 08 April 2022

: Written by Georgia Department of Public Health; Category: Media Releases

COVID 19 TESTING Dont Go To The Emergency Room

Per the following message from the Georgia Department of Public Health, please note that public health sponsors Free PCR COVID-19 Testing at Drive-thru MAKO Medical sites throughtout the North Georgia Health District, which includes Cherokee, Fannin, Gilmer, Murray, Pickens and Whitfield counties. Please go HERE to learn more and to register. -- North Georgia Health District

GaDPH Press Release: DPH Urges Georgians NOT to Go to Hospital Emergency Departments for COVID Testing

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

December 29, 2021

DPH Urges Georgians NOT to Go to Hospital Emergency Departments for COVID Testing

Atlanta – To help keep hospital emergency departments open to treat medical emergencies, individuals seeking COVID testing should not go to hospital emergency departments, unless they are experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms requiring urgent medical attention. Asymptomatic individuals or individuals with mild symptoms should find testing sites other than hospital emergency departments.

COVID-19 testing locations are available throughout Georgia and can be found on the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) website at https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting. We are working with our lab partners to expand testing hours and add testing sites, however, lines will continue to be long as thousands of Georgians want to get tested.

To help alleviate delays at testing sites, it is critical that people register BEFORE going to a DPH test site. Online registration (https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting) will help alleviate back-ups at test sites and free up staff to do more testing if they aren’t doing registration paperwork.

COVID vaccination is available statewide and is our best tool for ending this pandemic and reducing the overwhelming strain on the healthcare system and healthcare providers. To find a COVID vaccination location, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine. Georgians aged 5 and older are eligible for vaccination. Georgians 16 and older are eligible for boosters six months after completing their primary vaccine series of either Moderna or Pfizer (only Pfizer is authorized for booster doses in 16- and 17- year-olds) and two months after their J&J vaccine.

Created: 29 December 2021

Last Updated: 08 April 2022

NORTH GEORGIA HEALTH DISTRICT

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS