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COVID-19 Infection Rate Soars in Upson
Vaccination Process Under Way
By Bridge Turner
Managing Editor
Reports show the rate
of newly confirmed
COVID-19 infection has
more than doubled during
the past week in Upson
County.
The Johns Hopkins
University & Medicine Co-
ronavirus Resource Center
lists Upson with 2,335
positive cases as of noon
Tuesday (Jan. 5), an in
crease of 333 cases from
Tuesday (Dec. 29) one
week earlier. The previous
seven-day (Dec. 22-29) in
crease was 161 new cases -
172 fewer than the current
spike.
Experts believe the up
tick is related to holiday
travel and gatherings.
“The spread of COVID-
19 in our seven-county
service area has dramati
cally increased,” Upson
Regional Medical Center
CEO Jeff Tarrant stated in
a recent hospital status re
port. “This is a very con
cerning time for our
-
Spires Clothing Will Hang Around Forever
While traveling along Barnesville Street in Thomaston, many have noticed a pair of size 64
overalls hanging by the entrance of Spires Clothing, which servedfolks throughout Georgia
from 1956 to 2017. Completing 30-plus years of successful advertising in the window, owner
James Spires donated the historic overalls to the Thomaston-Upson Archives last month.
Learn more about Spires Clothing on Page 2B.
Middle Georgia com
munities. Our positivity
rate on COVID-19 testing
over the past week has in
creased to over 30 per
cent.”
Based on timeline esti
mates, Tarrant said the
current spike likely is asso
ciated with activity during
Thanksgiving, which
means results of Christ
mas and New Year’s activ
ity may not peak until late
January or early February.
URMC is vaccinating
under CDC Phase lA
guidelines as a “closed
COVID-19 Rates, 4A
URMC Implements
‘No Visitors’ Policy
Because of a recent
spike in COVID-19 cases
locally, Upson Regional
Medical Center has up
dated its policy to “no vis
itors,” according to an
online statement from
CEO Jeff Tarrant.
Updates include the
following:
Anyone wanting to
enter the hospital must
check in with a greeter at
one of the public en
trances with the exception
of employees, contractors,
and other staff who may
utilize one of the tempera
ture-monitored, name
badge-controlled en
trances.
Screening is being per
formed on all who are en
tering clinics and offices
for exposure history,
symptoms, and tempera
tures.
The Upson County
Health Department con
tinues to offer drive
through COVID-19 testing
on the campus every Wed
nesday morning and occa
sional Saturdays. Volumes
are still high for testing
and currently it takes
three to five days for
health department results
to be returned.
Several clinic locations
offer COVID-19 testing,
generally with same day
results. Locations include
Upson Family Medical
Center Northside, Upson
Family Medical Center
Southside, Upson Family
Physicians Thomaston,
Upson Family Physicians
Barnesville, Upson Family
Physicians Zebulon, and
Upson OB/GYN. Appoint
ments are necessary for
each location except
URMC: No Visitors, 4A
UL Student
Return Date
Postponed
Due to the substantial in
crease in positive COVID-19
cases within Upson County,
the Thomaston-Upson School
System reopened the window
for second semester remote
learning Sun., Jan. 3 through
Tues., Jan. 5, according to a
press release from TU Direc
tor of Community Relations
and Fine Arts Karen Trues-
dale.
In order to make changes
available to students and par
ents/guardians, TU schools
postponed the return-to-
school date from Jan. 6 to
Monday, Jan. 11.
The deadline to move
from face-to-face instruction
to remote learning ended Jan.
5 at 11:59 p.m. to provide ad
ministration time to integrate
new virtual students in re
mote learning, according to
Superintendent Dr. Larry De-
rico.
“We want to provide par
ents with a choice,” Derico
said. “As long as we are pro
viding a safe place for stu
dents to learn, we will.”
8
10499 02461 2
First Baby of 2021
Taylor Nicole Sattazahn was the first baby bom at Upson Regional
Medical Center in 2021. Taylor Nicole is shown with her proud mother,
Kristina Sattazahn.
Tag Renewal Unavailable Jan. 13-19
Because of an upgrade
to Georgia’s motor vehicle
program system, the local
tax office will be unable to
process tag and title trans
actions from 7 p.m. Tues
day, Jan. 12 to 8 a.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 19,accord
ing to Upson County Tax
Commissioner Andy Chas
tain.
Anyone with a renewal
which falls between the
designated dates is re
quired to complete the
transaction by Jan. 12. The
tax commissioner’s office
will remain open for prop
erty tax matters.
The outage, which in
volves conversion to the
DRIVES system, will in
clude all motor vehicle of
fices throughout the state
of Georgia, E-services, and
kiosks. “We apologize for
any inconvenience this
may cause our citizens,”
Chastain said.
Dr. Busbee Receives
Coronavirus Vaccine
Dr. Jonathan Busbee recently received his dose of
the COVID-19 vaccine and, on a social media
post, encouraged others to strongly consider tak
ing the vaccine. “Ifear getting really ill from a
contagious, potentially deadly virus more than I
fear this vaccine,” said Busbee. “The ivay ive live
will return to normal sooner ivhen ive achieve a
‘herd immunity, ’ which is why I encourage every
one to strongly consider taking the vaccine, too.”
County Utility Office
Closed Until Monday
The Upson County Util
ities Office will remain
closed to the public until
Monday, Jan. 11 due to
COVID-19 exposure, accord
ing to a statement from gov
ernment officials.
Payments will be ac
cepted as follows:
•Drop box located at 605
West Gordon Street
•Phone payment by cal
ling 706-647-3513
•Mail payment to P.O.
Box 889, Thomaston
•Online payment at
www.upsoncountyga.org
The utilities department
may be reached at 706-647-
3513 to set up an appoint
ment for new service, to
make changes to existing
service, or to cancel service.
(0 Griffin Ob-Gyn
NOW SEEING PATIENTS IN THOMASTON
CALL TO MAKE AN
APPOINTMENT TODAY:
403 WEST MAIN STREET
TUESDAY-THURSDAY 8:30-4:30
(770)227.5505
(706)646.2888
Leigh Ann Story, CNM; Bryan Krepps. HO; Jim Dunaway, MD; Lou Hameli, MO; Holly Harrison, PA-C;
Nadine Nolting, CNH; Enid Lofters-Jones, MD; Hegan Potter. HD; Katya Brickman. CNM; Ashley Johnson, PA
