SHEILA A. MATHEWS :::
According to Dr. Ashton Harris, an epidemiologist with the Georgia Department of Public Health, there is no confirmed case of COVID-19 in Spalding County.
The GRIP sought and obtained this confirmation Tuesday morning.
However, there is now one confirmed case in Lamar County, bringing the total for District 4, which includes Spalding County, to 12.
That case count includes five in Fayette County, three in Coweta County, two in Henry County, and one each in Lamar and Troup counties.
That breakdown was also obtained Tuesday morning from Department of Public Health District 4 Public Information Officer Hayla Folden.
“One of the Coweta and the Lamar case were both tested at a private lab,” Folden said. “Those cases have not showed up on the DPH may yet, but we have received confirmation.”
Some confusion on the issue may be rooted in how data is maintained.
A patient may obtain medical treatment – which may include a test for COVID-19 – outside their county of residence.
Should it be determined a patient does have COVID-19, that case is documented by the patient’s county of residence, not the location of the health care provider.
When asked to confirm the status of any COVID-19 case in Spalding County, Folden said, “I do not have a Spalding County case on my list at this time. I went over it with the epidemiologist (Dr. Ashton Harris) to make sure. Case counts are based on the county of residence.”
The overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low, although elderly people and individuals with chronic medical conditions may 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 you develop a 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 travel and symptoms.
For additional information about COVID-19, please visit dph.georgia.gov/novelcoronavirus or cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html.
Governor Brian Kemp and the Georgia Department of Public Health will also update COVID-19 case numbers on Twitter. Follow Kemp at @GovKemp and the DPH at @GaDPH.
The GRIP 
Thank you, Sheila for keeping us up to date! ❤