As the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Savannah-area hospitals hits record highs and cases continue to surge, the City of Savannah could implement more restrictions, Mayor Van Johnson said Monday.
"COVID is growing out of control in our city and if things don't change quickly, increased measures will be necessary to protect public health, safety and welfare," said Johnson, who reinstated a mask policy last month.
As of Monday afternoon there were 124 patients at Memorial Health University Medical Center; 92 patients at St. Joseph's Hospital and 67 at Candler Hospital. The community transmission index, which reflects the number of newly confirmed cases in the last 14 days per 100,000 residents, hit 1,197 on Monday. It was 468 on Aug.2.
Johnson said reinstating the mask mandate in July was done as a precautionary measure to emphasize the importance of the situation and to encourage vaccinations, but he continues to see packed indoor locations and tour vehicles and very few people wearing masks.
The surge of positive cases is driven by the delta variant, which is about twice as contagious as the previous strain of Coronavirus, Dr. Chris Rustin, administrator, Coastal Health District, told the Chatham County Commission last Friday.
About 90% of those hospitalized in Chatham County with COVID-19 are unvaccinated and the vaccination rate continues to be one of the department's biggest concerns, Rustin said.
“The unvaccinated tend to have more severe outcomes and are much more likely to get sick and have symptoms from this particular strain,” he said.
Upon reinstating the mask mandate late last month, Johnson expressed his hope to move the county’s vaccination rate up by 10% from 42% to 52%. As of Monday, the Georgia Department of Health reported that 43% of Chatham County residents have been fully vaccinated and 49% have received at least one dose.
Statewide 48% of the population has received at least one dose and 41% are fully vaccinated.
“Obviously, this is not working as we had hoped. This week I will be meeting again with our medical advisory team to reassess our situation and seek recommendations,” he said.
“It appears to me at this point, that without any substantial change in our compliance with the current mandate or our vaccination rate, further restrictions, permit suspensions and cancellations are imminent. We tried to do what we could with minimal disruption, but it appears not to be working as we had hoped.”
Speaking on a recent episode of The Commute podcast, Johnson said if the city could take action and close parks and pull permits for events and activities.
A few of the upcoming larger events around the include the Savannah Philharmonic’s Picnic in the Park, which is currently scheduled for Oct.9 and the 2021 Savannah Jazz Festival, which is scheduled to take place the last weekend in September. Together the events attract thousands of people to Forsyth Park.
Another annual event that draws a large crowd to the city is the Savannah Film Festival hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design. The eight-day festival is scheduled for Oct. 23-30.
"It's unfortunate that those who have done the right and necessary thing have to suffer, because the majority chooses not to do what's necessary," he said.
The seven-day rolling average in the county, which is an average of the number of newly diagnosed cases over the previous seven days, hit 291 on Monday. On Jan. 12 it was 172, but overall had declined since the start of the year dropping to 7.3 on Jun. 28 before steadily growing again in July.
"Simply put, our numbers are terrible, they’re horrible, they’re abysmal. Until more of us are vaccinated I implore you to wear a mask, wash your hands and socially distance if you’re around people that aren’t in your household,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who routinely meets with health leaders from the Coastal Health District and local hospitals, said the decisions made have been done so in the interest of public health and safety not politics.
“No decision (the city) has made has been in absence of their recommendations,” Johnson said of the local team of health professionals.
All residents 12 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine at no cost. Local vaccine clinic locations can be found online at the Coastal Health District website.
Katie Nussbaum is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at knussbaum@savannahnow.com. Twitter: KmartSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah mayor: COVID-19 surge could mean more restrictions and event cancellations
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