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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
Friday, January 1,2021 FORSYTHNEWS.COM
A once in a generation moment'
diesis
Ossoff
^ *arnock
Photos by Kelly Whitmire Forsyth County News
Ahead of his Jan. 5 runoff election against Sen. David Perdue, Democratic Senate candidate Jon Ossoff stopped by Forsyth County onThursday, Dec. 31
at a volunteer meet and greet hosted by the Forsyth Asian American and Pacific Islanders at Patel Brothers grocery store at 3230 Caliber Street.
Jon Ossoff greets
supporters ahead
of Jan. 5 runoff
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
Just hours before advance voting closed in
Forsyth County, Democratic U.S. Senate can
didate Jon Ossoff made a stop in Forsyth
County as a last-minute push for voters to sup
port him and other Democratic candidates in
the Jan. 5 runoff election.
On Thursday, Dec. 31, Ossoff spoke outside
Patel Brothers grocery store on Peachtree
Parkway as part of a meet and greet and rally
for Asian American and Pacific Islander voters.
Ossoff, who will face off against incumbent
Republican Sen. David Perdue, said his race
and the race between Republican Sen. Kelly
Loeffler and Democratic challenger Raphael
Warnock would have nationwide implications
and send “a message that echoes from coast to
coast about what Georgia stands for.”
“Both of these Senate elections are in run
offs, and these runoffs will determine control
of the United States Senate,” Ossoff said. “This
is a once in a generation moment. Georgia has
the power to set the tone for decades to come.
See OSSOFF 12A
STUDENTS
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Next group of Georgians could begin receiving COVID-19 vaccine soon
By Megan Reed
FCN regional staff
People 65 and older, along with
first responders, will be eligible to
receive the COVID-19 vaccine
within the next two weeks if the
state gets enough doses, according
to state officials.
Gov. Brian Kemp and Dr.
Kathleen Toomey, commissioner
of the Georgia Department of
Public Health, announced plans
Wednesday, Dec. 30 to add adults
65 and older, law enforcement
officers, firefighters and first
responders to the highest-priority
group. Health care workers and
long-term care facility residents
are already eligible.
The additional populations could
be able to get the vaccine within
the next two weeks. Kemp said
Thursday, Dec. 31 that Georgia
had received 120,000 doses this
week but state officials did not
know what to expect the following
week.
Toomey said Thursday that in
metro Atlanta, there are “hun
dreds” of health care workers on
waiting lists for a COVID-19 vac
cine, but in some areas of rural
Georgia, extra doses are sitting
unused. About 80% of the popula
tion will need to be vaccinated for
“herd immunity,” or when enough
people are immune to make com
munity spread unlikely.
“At a time we’re seeing the high
est community spread we’ve ever
had during this pandemic, I think
it’s more important to recognize
that this (vaccine) is life-saving
and can stop the pandemic and get
back to normal life,” Toomey said.
Photo by Nick Watson FCN regional staff
Elizabeth Larkins, the director of critical care at Gainesville's Northeast Georgia
Medical Center, looks away while receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. She was one of
seven frontline health care workers to receive a dose Thursday, Dec. 17.
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