Georgia Coastal Health District

ATLANTA – The current surge of COVID cases throughout Georgia is stretching hospital and EMS personnel and resources to unprecedented levels. As a result, many hospitals are having to declare themselves on diversion meaning they are temporarily unable to provide normal emergency care to patients arriving by ambulance. Diversion is a term specific to ambulance transports and is a request to ambulances to transport patients to other local facilitiesif possible.

Diversion does not apply to individuals seeking emergency medical care. Individuals experiencing a medical emergency should call 9-1-1 and ask for assistance.

The statewide hospital diversion website https://georgiarcc.org is a tool intended to be used by EMS agencies across Georgia so that they may take into consideration the diversion status(es) of hospitals they may be transporting patients to.

The Georgia Coordinating Center (GCC) is a communications center for use ONLY by ambulance crews who are transporting patients to emergency departments that are located in the 13-county metro Atlanta area. The public should NOT call the GCC with questions or concerns.

To help keep hospital emergency departments open and able to treat medical emergencies, individuals seeking COVID testing should not go to hospital emergency departments. COVID-19 testing locations are available throughout Georgia and can be found on the DPH website at https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting. COVID vaccination is available statewide and is our best tool for ending this pandemic and reducing the overwhelming strain on EMS, the healthcare system and healthcare providers. To find a COVID vaccination location, log on to https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine. Georgians aged 12 and older are urged to get vaccinated and wear a mask in public settings where social distancing is not possible

On Thursday, August 19^th, Health Departments in the Coastal Health District will begin offering a third dose of COVID-19 vaccine to individuals with certain immune conditions. Third doses are only recommended for immunocompromised individuals who previously received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

“Studies have shown that people with compromised immune systems may not develop a strong enough immune response with just two doses, so getting a third dose will enhance that response,” said Dr. Lawton Davis, health director for the Coastal Health District. “If your immune system is compromised because of a medical condition or a medication you’re taking, this additional dose can help strengthen your body’s defense against this dangerous virus.”

Those seeking a third dose can provide documentation of their medical condition from their physician or sign a consent form attesting they have a qualifying condition. Examples of qualifying conditions include receiving an organ or stem cell transplant, undergoing treatment for cancer, having advanced HIV infection, or taking certain immune-suppressing medications.  A list of qualifying conditions can be found at coastalhealthdistrict.org/covidvaccine/.

To make an appointment for vaccination at your local county health department in the Coastal Health District, visit chdcovidvax.org or call the COVID-19 Vaccine Phone Line at 912-230-5506. Some vaccination sites allow walk-ins, but appointments are preferred at all sites and are required at the Long and McIntosh County Health Departments.

Later this fall, the Centers for Disease Control expects “booster” doses of Pfizer and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines to be available for residents without immune system concerns. A booster dose can create longer-lasting protection. More information on the timing and availability of booster doses will be released soon.

All counties in the eight-county Coastal Health District have vaccination rates below 50 percent. As cases continue to surge and hospitals reach and exceed their patient capacity, Davis issued an urgent plea for residents to get vaccinated.

“I know some people are still hesitant about the vaccine, but billions of doses of COVID vaccine have been given and it is saving lives. I have no agenda and no reason to be anything other than completely honest. I believe in the vaccines and the science used to create them. I was one of the first in line to get vaccinated and I will be one of first to get a third dose,” he said. “We – all of us – have the power to stop this virus, but we can’t wait any longer.”

For more information on additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine, please visit cdc.gov.

From the Georgia Department of Public Health:

Following the FDA’s authorization of an additional COVID vaccine dose for immunocompromised individuals, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is now recommending that certain patients with weakened immune systems receive an additional dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. The recommendation does not include J&J vaccine recipients at this time.

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is awaiting guidance from the CDC that clearly defines what conditions make an individual eligible for an additional dose of vaccine. Once those conditions are known, DPH will establish statewide protocols for health departments administering additional doses of COVID vaccine. Until then, DPH will hold off on administering third doses.

Patients seeking additional doses of vaccine should contact their healthcare provider for guidance and recommendations.

The following press release was issued from the South Georgia Health System, with hospital campuses in Glynn and Camden Counites.

BRUNSWICK, Georgia: August 4, 2021 –

With the number of positive COVID-19 patients increasing every day at its Brunswick and Camden Campus hospitals, Southeast Georgia Health System nurses and physicians are pleading with the community to get vaccinated.

“We’re tired, and we’re at our wits’ end,” says Jan Jones, R.N., BSN, director, Patient Care Services, Southeast Georgia Health System. “As soon as a patient is discharged from our critical care unit, or worse, is deceased, there’s another patient to put in that bed. It’s like a revolving door that we can’t stop.”

Similar to most hospitals across the nation, Southeast Georgia Health System is reporting a sharp rise in COVID-19 hospitalized patients. Health System leadership attributes the increase to the more contagious delta variant, low vaccination rates and relaxed safety measures.

“This summer we were starting to feel some relief with our COVID-19 patient census hovering between four to eight patients in early July,” says Michael D. Scherneck, president and CEO, Southeast Georgia Health System. “People began to relax. They stopped wearing masks and social distancing. Even though the CDC recommended that unvaccinated people continue to wear masks, you rarely saw anyone wearing one. Yet, as of today, our community’s vaccination rate is less than 40%, and we need to reach 70% to achieve herd immunity.”

Due to the increased patient volumes and growing positivity rates in the community, the Health System has reinstated visitor restrictions, limiting patients to one visitor per day.

“We regret having to limit visitors, and we realize the impact it has on our patients and their families. But our primary concern is the health and well-being of our team members and patients. We must protect them from possible exposure,” says Scherneck.

The Health System is also postponing some elective surgeries, particularly those that require an overnight stay.

“With such a high census of COVID-19 patients, we’ve had to convert regular patient rooms into coronavirus rooms,” says Alan K. Brown, M.D., chief medical officer. “More importantly, we need the nursing staff to be available to care for COVID-19 patients.”

Brown adds, “We had hoped the vaccine would bring us the relief we all so desperately need, especially our nurses. It’s very hard and disheartening for our health care teams to be going through this again. People need to get their vaccine. While it’s true that there’s still a chance of contracting the virus after being vaccinated, the vaccine reduces the risk of becoming seriously ill and being hospitalized. The vaccine has been proven to be safe and effective and it’s free. There’s no reason to delay getting a vaccine.”

Jones agrees, “This surge isn’t like the ones we experienced last year. The delta variant is much more contagious and it’s impacting much younger patients, even those who don’t have chronic health issues. It’s so sad when we have to put a 20 or 30 year old on a ventilator. We just need people to realize that this virus doesn’t discriminate. You can be young and healthy and still end up hospitalized in a critical care bed. Please get the vaccine to protect yourself and others.”

The Health System offers free COVID-19 vaccines to everyone age 12 and older at its Brunswick and Camden campuses; dates and addresses are listed on the Health System’s website at sghs.org/covid19-vaccine. Individuals with questions about COVID-19 symptoms can call the Health System’s free screening hotline at 912-466-7222.

If you were waiting for the right time to get vaccinated, that time is now! The
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging Georgians to get vaccinated as the
number of new COVID-19 cases increases daily and the Delta variant spreads.

The COVID case rate in Georgia has increased 204% over the last 14-day period. Yesterday
new cases totaled 4,612 – the highest daily number since mid-February. Hospitalizations have
increased by about 50% in the last 14 days, and deaths have increased by about 18% in the
same period. Vaccination has stalled statewide and only 40% of Georgians are fully vaccinated.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates the Delta variant accounts for
78% of new COVID cases in Georgia, making vaccination more urgent than ever. The Delta
variant spreads more than twice as easily from one person to another, compared with earlier
strains. The highest spread of cases and severe outcomes are happening in places with low
vaccination rates, and virtually all hospitalizations and deaths continue to be among the
unvaccinated.

“Unfortunately, we can expect COVID numbers to keep growing. People who are unvaccinated
or skip their second dose of vaccine are targets for infection,” said Kathleen E. Toomey, M.D.,
M.P.H., commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “Getting vaccinated is the
best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant. High vaccination coverage
will reduce spread of the virus in your community and elsewhere – and help prevent new
variants from emerging.”

All Georgians aged 12 and older are urged to get vaccinated against COVID-19. If you receive
either Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, you must get your second dose to ensure you are fully
protected. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their final dose of
vaccine.

COVID vaccines authorized for use in the U.S. are safe and effective against COVID-19 and the
variants that are circulating. Vaccination is the best defense at preventing severe illness,
hospitalizations and death. The delta variant is causing some “vaccine breakthrough infections,”
meaning infections in fully vaccinated people, but even so, most breakthrough infections are
mild. In areas with substantial and high transmission, the CDC recommends that everyone (including fully vaccinated individuals) wear a mask in public indoor settings to help prevent spread of COVID-19 and the Delta variant.

COVID vaccines are free and widely available statewide without insurance or identification. To find a vaccination location or to schedule an appointment, visit https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-vaccine.