Vaccination efforts in Georgia have ramped up significantly. About a third of residents have had at least one dose of the vaccine, and one in five are fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Public Health.
But Georgia, which continues to lag most other states, faces major challenges ahead. Demand for vaccines appears to be waning, and the virus continues to spread and mutate.
The seven-day average for new coronavirus infections is down about 87% from the post-holiday peak in January. And, while there was a slight uptick earlier in the month, the number of cases has declined again.
Here’s a look at major developments related to COVID-19 over the past week.
Credit: Christina Matacotta
Credit: Christina Matacotta
MARTA routes return
A year after suspending most of its routes, MARTA is resuming normal bus operations.
The regional transit agency suspended 70 of its 110 routes last April and boosted service on most of the remaining routes. The idea was to provide more buses on busy routes to allow passengers to spread out — a “social distance” strategy designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Now MARTA says it has installed new air filters and other equipment that will keep passengers safe. There will be limits on the number of passengers on each bus.
“Our customers will be safe and can sit next to each other again,” Deputy General Manager Collie Greenwood said.
The suspension of bus service was just one of the ways MARTA responded to the pandemic. Last spring, it stopped collecting bus fares to limit contact between passengers and drivers, although fares returned in September.
It stepped up the cleaning of buses, trains and stations. It bought protective equipment and provided hazard pay for employees. And it required passengers to wear masks and distributed them for free.
But nothing disrupted the lives of passengers like the suspension of bus service.
Keith Arendall, who lives in Atlanta, said he quit his job downtown because he could no longer afford to get there. When his regular bus route was eliminated, he used taxi and ride-hailing services to get to MARTA’s Hamilton E. Holmes station. He was spending about $140 a week on fares.
“I was working for nothing,” Arendall said.
Emory, AUC requiring vaccinations
Emory University and the Atlanta University Center will require students to get the COVID- 19 vaccine in order to be on campus for the fall semester.
Leaders of the schools said their decisions were based, in part, on more doses being available. They also will attempt to have more people and activities on campus this fall.
Vaccine mandates are thorny issues for business leaders and educators, given that many Americans have expressed a reluctance to get inoculated.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission released guidance in December that says employers can require vaccinations, but they must provide reasonable accommodations for those who cannot be inoculated for “sincerely held” religious beliefs or medical reasons.
Georgia’s two public college systems — the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia — have offered on-campus vaccinations. But, thus far, they have issued no mandates for the fall semester.
Emory and the Atlanta University Center are private institutions, so state officials did not have a role in the decision-making process. Emory, the state’s largest private university with more than 14,000 students, said widespread vaccinations are “crucial” to the goal of a full return to campus.
Leaders of other colleges and universities in the area said they’re exploring options.
Agnes Scott College President Lee Zak recently told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the school is leaning toward requiring vaccinations. The decision will be based on guidance from health professionals.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Metro Atlanta adds jobs
The region’s economic recovery continued last month at a steady, if unspectacular, pace. Metro Atlanta’s unemployment rate dropped, and the local economy added 14,800 jobs, according to officials.
Since the devastating shutdowns early in the pandemic, the area has added back nearly a quarter-million jobs.
With widespread vaccinations, the economy has momentum, said Sara Kirby, area vice president for staffing company Randstad in Atlanta.
“We are seeing a huge surge in job opportunities, especially in manufacturing and logistics,” she said. “We see things expanding, and I don’t see things slowing down.”
There are other positive signals.
The jobless rate dipped from 4.5% in February to 4.1% last month, despite growth in the labor force. That is a sign that some of the unemployed feel hopeful enough to return to a job search they had abandoned. Many of them have found jobs.
Staff writers Eric Stirgus, David Wickert, J. Scott Trubey and Michael E. Kanell contributed to this report.
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