COVID-19 Cases Increase, JCMS Is Virtual for Now
All 50 states in the U.S. have reported an increase in coronavirus cases over the past 14 days with Jasper County currently at 264 confirmed cases as of November 15 with 150 presumptive cases, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) statistics.
The DPH reported that from November 9-16, the seven-day average of new cases reported statewide increased 22.7 percent. whereas Jasper has shown a 14 percent increase during the same period.
Jasper County Middle School was moved to virtual learning effective November 17 due to the increased number of reported COVID-19 cases, both students and staff, impacting the school, noted Jasper County Charter System (JCCS) Superintendent. Kenny Garland. The middle school is in the process of being sanitized by the custodial staff with the goal of reopening for in-person instruction on November 30, said the announcement from the superintendent. As of Monday, there were four active COVID cases in the middle school, on Tuesday there were eight active cases including five employees and three students. With contact tracing those numbers affect a large number of students and staff potentially being exposed to the virus.
All other schools in the JCCS system will remain on a regular schedule at this time. Systemwide there are 225 employees and students quarantined, Supt. Garland reported Tuesday evening during the regular meeting of the school board.
The chart above, provided by Primary Care Center Administrator Jan Gaston, shows the rapid point of care testing results for Jasper County youth age 3-18 from June to November 2020. Three weeks in October reflected a 0 percent of positivity from rapid testing but each week thereafter percentages have increased to seven percent, 10 percent and 11 percent in the three weeks consecutive.
Administrator Gaston also noted that testing for COVID had increasesd over the last several weeks at the PCC and Jasper Memorial Hospital. With regards to the Retreat Nursing Home, home to some of the county’s most vulnerable population, visitation has begun with up to three visits per day. The Retreat had been closed to potential visitors for months following the beginning of the pandemic in March.
Mrs. Gaston said 65 percent of the available visitation slots had been filled.
“We have been notified by both DPH and CMS that holiday visitation guidance will be released later this week and we expect to have changes recommended,” she said.
The administrator also said that the facility has been well below five percent positivity for three weeks. That being the case, the facility took a hiatus from weekly COVID testing. However weekly testing for employees was reinstated this week.
“We are seeing sporadic cases of flu – a mix of A and B. However, we are vaccinating more this year for the flu which is positive.”
With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, persons are encouraged to prevent infection and to slow transmission of COVID-19 by doing the following:
•Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, or clean them with alcohol-based hand rub.
•Cover your mouth and nose with a mask when in public settings or around others.
•Maintain at least six feet distance between you and people coughing or sneezing.
•Avoid touching your face.
•Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing.
•Stay home if you feel unwell.
•Refrain from smoking and other activities that weaken the lungs.
•Practice physical distancing by avoiding unnecessary travel and staying away from large groups of people.
