NAACP branch of Savannah hosts Coastal Health District to answer COVID-19 related questions
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – On Sunday, Dr. Lawton Davis, Director of the Coastal Health District provided a COVID-19 update to the NAACP branch of Savannah.
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 4,000 Americans were dying each day from COVID-19. Currently over 430 people have died from the virus in Chatham County alone, and although numbers are the lowest they’ve been since last June, Davis warns that the pandemic isn’t over yet.
“Unfortunately this is not over with, all virus’ mutate. To get as many people vaccinated as possible is important because the fewer people carrying the virus provides a lower chance that it can mutate,” said Davis.
Chad Mance, President of the NAACP Branch of Savannah, wanted to ensure that those who had any doubts about the vaccine could have their questions answered.
“The Executive board of the NAACP has taken an interest in making sure that communities that have been disproportionately affected by the virus have access to the data and the resources necessary to at least try to slow the impact of the virus down in Coastal Georgia,” said Mance.
“Of course, a vaccine is a personal choice but not getting the vaccine or not fully protecting yourself from the virus may adversely impact your relatives, particularly those with preexisting conditions and it may also cost us the lives of our community members. So, we do want to make sure that folks know what the data is so they can make the best decision for themselves. And our position is, we want to urge people to do everything they can to protect themselves and their families,” added Mance.
Over 80% of COVID-19 cases in Georgia at this point are the Alpha variant of the virus, originating in the United Kingdom. The highly publicized Delta variant only accounts for .4% of current cases and originated in India. However, the Delta variant is one again causing COVID-19 restrictions to tighten in country’s like Australia and Israel.
In a statement released on Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that nearly all COVID-19 deaths from this point forward could be prevented by getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
You can still receive the vaccine at many locations across the Coastal Empire, including every Thursday at the Civic Center, at weekly CORE venues, and daily at the Chatham County Health Department.
