The number of COVID-19 cases in our county is rapidly increasing. There have been at least 38 new cases identified in our community just since last Friday (July 3rd). To better illustrate just how quickly the virus is spreading, the new cases since last Friday represent 20% of all cases in the county since we started keeping records around the first of March.

As of this morning, there are 54 individual homes in the county that contain one or more residents who have been diagnosed with active COVID-19. There are no specific geographic areas where there are more cases than others, and it appears to be spread pretty much throughout the county. There are no active cases in any of the nursing homes or assisted living facilities in our community.

It is obvious that younger people are being infected at a greater rate than before. The average age of those infected since last Friday is 32, while the average age of all people who were infected between March up until last Thursday was 51. Health professionals are relatively certain that some of these new cases originated from one recent gathering of young people in the community. It is also very clear that many people with the virus are asymptomatic and show little if any signs of being sick. These people nonetheless go home and transmit the disease to others in their families who are older or have some other underlying health problem.

I can assure you that the medical professionals, whom I personally trust, tell me that COVID-19 is a real disease and they acknowledge it is rapidly spreading throughout Georgia. It appears to me that the national media has hijacked and politicized this virus. Regardless of the media's machinations, it is absurd not to follow the recommendations of the health professionals who are combating this disease. COVID-19 could not care less if you are a Democrat or Republican, nor is it concerned with your race, gender, or wealth. It's simply looking for a host to ravage or reside in until it jumps to its next victim.

I continue to urge you to avoid crowds and follow the guidelines and recommendations of the Georgia Department of Public Health and the U.S. Center for Disease Control. Here are links to their websites:

https://dph.georgia.gov/health-topics/coronavirus-covid-19

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Common sense coupled with the advice of our health professionals will hopefully prevent another shutdown of our economy, and I think everyone will agree that another shutdown would be devastating for our state and nation.

Howard R. Sills, Sheriff