DeKalb County urges residents to mask up, get vaccinated as cases rise, Christmas nears

FILE - A nurse fills a syringe with a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine. 

DeKalb County has issued its CodeRED account to warn residents of the rise in COVID-19 cases in metro Atlanta.

SINGLE-DAY COVID-19 CASES IN GEORGIA SPIKE TO 10,000 AS OMICRON VARIANT SPREADS

Thursday afternoon, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond sent out the digital message which reads:

"Happy holidays from DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. The omicron variant of COVID-19 is spiking in metro Atlanta. Don't let COVID ruin your holiday season. Protect yourself and others by getting vaccinated including a booster, wearing a mask in public places, washing hands, practicing social distancing, avoiding large gatherings and getting tested. For more information, go to www.dekalbcountyga.gov/coronavirus. Have a safe and happy holiday!"

In the last two weeks, DeKalb County has seen 3,649 new cases, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. That’s about 4% of the 85,848 cases the county has seen since the start of the pandemic. The GPDH said more than 1,200 DeKalb County residents have died from COVID-19 so far. That’s the fourth-highest in the state.

Statewide, the number of positive COVID-19 cases reported in a single day spiked to above 10,000 on Thursday, according to the GDPH.

In the last seven days in Georgia, there have been as many positive PCR tests reported as in the previous 28 days, according to GDPH data.

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