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Vol. 141, No. 32 - Waynesboro, Ga. 30830 Established in 1882 Wednesday, September 29,2021 - $1.00
COVID booster shots available here
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Local pharmacies and agencies
are geared up to administer booster
shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention approved a booster
dose of Pfizer vaccine September 24
for older adults and people with high
risk of exposure or severe disease
who received their second dose at
least 6 months ago. However, only
people who have already been fully
immunized with Phzer-BioNTech’s
two-dose COVID vaccine are eli
gible for the booster shot. Citing a
lack of evidence,
The Food and Drug Administra
tion is not endorsing that people who
received the Moderna or Johnson
& Johnson vaccines, should get a
booster of the Pfizer shot.
Those who received the Moderna
shot may not have too much longer
to wait. Moderna submitted an emer
gency use authorization application
for their booster earlier this month
and is awaiting approval. J & J
released the results from a Phase 3
clinical trial for its booster, but the
company has not applied for emer
gency use authorization.
The Georgia Department of Pub
lic Health began giving out Pfizer
COVID-19 booster shots Monday.
DPH recommends that people 65
years and older and residents in long
term care settings should receive the
booster shot. Additionally, people
between the ages of 18 to 64 years
old with underlying medical condi
tions and those whose occupational
or institutional setting presents a
higher risk of COVID-19 exposure
should get a third dose of the Pfizer
vaccine.
“DPH currently has adequate in
ventory of the Pfizer vaccine and will
work to ensure accessibility to boost
er doses statewide,” according to the
September 24 press release. “DPH
continues to stress the importance of
vaccination for all Georgians aged 12
and older. Vaccination is our best tool
to protect lives and stop the spread
of COVID-19 in our state.”
Locally, the health department
continues to offer all doses of the
vaccine daily, according to Nurse
Manager Gina Richardson.
A spokesperson from Clark Drug
Company said they began admin
istering the booster shots Friday,
September 24.
Meanwhile, the vims continues
to show signs that the number of
cases may have peaked locally. The
Burke County Public Schools system
reported 22 new student cases and
no new cases amongst faculty/staff
for the week prior to September 27.
Known to be up in the triple digits
weeks ago, there are currently 44
active confirmed positive cases of
COVID-19 from the Vogtle 3 & 4
workforce, according to Georgia
Power spokesperson Jeffrey Wilson.
Burke County’s positivity rate
dropped to 16.5% for the 2-week
period leading up to September 27, in
comparison to 23% of COVID tests
showing a positive result approxi
mately one month ago. DPH reports
62 new cases of the vims in the last
two weeks. Forty-nine percent of the
county’s residents have received at
least one dose, while 43% are fully
vaccinated.
As more establishments begin to
mandate proof of COVID-19 vac
cination, people should be aware
that falsifying a vaccination card
is a federal crime, according to the
DPH website.
Lisa Ann Wheeler, right, and Annie Frazier participated in The Breast Health Walk at the Burke County
Recreational Center September 18.
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Lisa Ann Wheeler has her sights set on paving the way
for Burke County women to live breast cancer-free lives.
Women are trained to believe that the sure-sign of
breast cancer onset is the discovery of a lump. Wheeler
feels it’s important for females to understand there are
12 signs associated with breast cancer. They can possess
a combination of any of those symptoms without having
a lump. A thickened area resembling a bmise, a dimpling
area thought to derive from a brassiere,
unusual showing of a vein, orange-peel
skin resembling a rash and warmth can WHEELER,
all be attributed to signs of breast cancer. 8
The work Lisa Ann Wheeler does is dedicated
to her mother, Lorraine Davis Jackman, who
lost the battle with metastatic breast cancer in
August 2017.
State designates Burke
County as broadband ready
The Georgia Department of Com
munity affairs designated Burke
County as a Broadband Ready Com
munity, according to a September
22 email.
“We thank you for your leadership
in prioritizing broadband services by
demonstrating expansion readiness,”
said Grants Consultant Brittney
Hickom and indicated that the des
ignation certification runs through
December 2021.
According to the department’s
website, applicants are certified
in-part because they demonstrate
compliance with state law that at
least 1 gigabit of broadband services
at a rate of not less than 1 gigabit per
second in the download stream to
end users is available.
“The purpose of the Broadband
Ready Community Designation is
for a community to demonstrate
that a local unit of government has
taken steps to reduce obstacles to
broadband infrastructure invest
ment,” according to the Department
of Community Affairs website. Once
designated, the Department of Eco
nomic Development promotes the
facilities and developments as local
community assets. The county will
receive standardized graphics and
materials used to promote the status
as a Georgia Broadband Ready Site.
Burke County identified the need
for broadband services expansion in
the community and showed interest
in promoting to homes and busi
nesses. In order to qualify for the cer
tification, the county demonstrated
compliance with the adoption of both
a Comprehensive Plan inclusive of
the promotion of the deployment of
broadband services and the adoption
of a Broadband Model Ordinance,
according to the agency’s website.
Sardis to host first-ever
pre-election forum
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Sardis City Council and Mayoral
candidates will have the opportunity
to communicate why they deserve
the votes they seek during the city’s
first-ever townhall pre-election
event.
The October 10 forum, organized
by councilman Grady Dixon’s wife,
Harriett, and moderated by County
Commissioner Tommy Nix is hosted
by the City Council and begins at
3 p.m. outside the old SGA school
building, near the gym. Tents will be
provided and it will take place rain
or shine, Harriett said.
Residents are encouraged to sub
mit questions to the city’s Facebook
page or to hand them directly to Nix
prior to the event. Harriett said she
encourages not only voters, but also
any resident who wishes to learn
more about Sardis local government
to attend. She hopes the event will
inspire more public participation
on committees and volunteer op
portunities.
As the November elections draw
closer, Harriett pointed out that not
all of the candidates are well known.
She believes the forum will provide
more equity in the races.
“A lot of people don’t know the
candidates, and I am one of them,
and I have lived here for 73 years,”
she said.
BURKE COUNTY BEARS GO LIVE
The Burke County High School’s home football game against Benedictine,
scheduled for October 1, has been moved to Thursday, September 30 due
to referee availability. Kick-off time is 6:30 p.m.
The game is live streamed at https://bchs.burke.kl2.ga.us/apps/pages/
index ,jsp?uREC_ID=340811 &type=d&pREC_ID=747924
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