Health & Fitness

COVID-19 Fatigue Hurting Public Action: GA Health Commissioner

Georgia Public Health Department Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey worries the public has grown weary of COVID-19 protocols and warnings.

Georgia Public Health Department Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey worries the public has grown weary of COVID-19 protocols and warnings.
Georgia Public Health Department Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey worries the public has grown weary of COVID-19 protocols and warnings. (Shutterstock)

ATLANTA — Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey is speaking out regarding the omicron variant of the novel coronavirus.

In an interview with Channel 2 Action News reporter Justin Wilfon, Toomey said she worried that the public’s fatigue with COVID-19 is causing people to tune out ongoing updates and advice from her and other public health professionals.

“I know that after a while it’s blah, blah, blah. People aren’t hearing it,” said Toomey.

Find out what's happening in Atlantawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

As the number of Georgia omicron cases has grown to five as of Wednesday, and one of those Georgia cases is quarantined in New Jersey, near what appears to be an epicenter of the majority of U.S. cases — New York.

Statewide, Georgia health officials on Wednesday reported 2,054 COVID-19 cases, including 161 hospitalizations and 23 deaths.

Find out what's happening in Atlantawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

For now, Georgia and other southeastern states have yet to see any significant reporting of patients testing positive with this new strain of the virus. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 0.1 percent of cases reported in Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, Mississippi, Kentucky and Florida stem from the omicron variant.

In Georgia, the state's Department of Public Health continues its drumbeat to encourage vaccinations and boosters, reminding the public that most people age 5 and older are eligible for the vaccine and boosters are available for individuals as young as 16 who have gone more than six months since initially being fully vaccinated.

Overseas, European officials anticipate the growing number of omicron cases to balloon beyond the number of people testing positive for the original strain of COVID-19 or of the delta variant.

CDC officials encourage the public to continue to practice strategies that prevent the spread, including wearing a mask in closed public spaces, social distancing and handwashing. The agency also recommends getting vaccinations and boosters for those eligible.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story.


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