Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid extended the Declaration of Emergency prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic through October 17.

The following press release was issued by Cobb County Communications Director Ross Cavitt this afternoon:

Marietta, GA | September 17, 2021 – Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Lisa Cupid signed an extension to the Declaration of Emergency concerning the COVID pandemic in Cobb County, extending it through October 17, 2021.

The declaration will keep the county’s Emergency Operations Plan in place, which allows a smoother transition of resources between the county and partner organizations.  The declaration continues to encourage preventative measures to combat COVID, and a new measure in the declaration will allow some public meetings or portions of meetings to be held remotely.  Cobb County has instituted a mask mandate in its buildings as well as social distancing occupancy limits in meeting rooms.

“Although recent reports from Public Health have the case rate for COVID in Cobb slightly declining, we are still more than seven times the level of what is considered the high transmission of COVID,” said Chairwoman Cupid.  “We continue to need to have the ability to move resources quickly and provide ways for people to participate in our county government activities in a safe manner.”

COVID-19 in Cobb County

After briefly dropping into a more moderate level of COVID-19 community transmission in the late spring and early summer, the county experienced an alarming spike in the rate starting in July.

After spiking to more than 800 cases per 100,000 of population over a 14-day period, the case rate began declining. We are now at 731 cases per 100,000 according to the Cobb & Douglas Public Health website. That rate is still far beyond the 100 cases per 100,000 over a seven day period considered high community transmission.

The hospital bed capacity for Region N, which includes Cobb, Cherokee, Douglas and Paulding counties is a major concern for health professionals in the county.

Region N has 1,240 general inpatient beds in use out of 1,343 total beds, or 92.33% of capacity, 189 ICU beds in use out of a total of 206 total ICU beds, or 91.75% of capacity, and 228 ED beds in use out of 283 total beds, or 80.57% of total capacity, and 153 ventilators in use out of 196 total ventilators, or 78.06% of capacity according to the most recent Hospital Bed and Ventilator Use report on the Georgia Department of Public Health website.