Dear Friends,
It is time to share a quick COVID update. While the wide availability of vaccines has offered significant protection for our community and congregation, with the continued mutation of the virus, we are going to be living with this virus for the foreseeable future. With the Delta Variant, the virus continues to spread very rapidly in our community and beyond. So I wanted to share a few of my concerns and a few things offering me encouragement with you all:
Concerns:
In the Athens Area, ICU wings have been full for the last week, and hospitals are creating new ICU beds as needed.
It is my understanding there are 70 ICU beds available in the Athens Area. Since mid-August, the Athens Area has had between 72 and 75 ICU patients daily.
94% of regular hospital beds in the Athens Area are currently occupied.
The number of beds used changes daily, but has generally trended upward throughout the month of August.
Today there are twice as many new COVID cases among our children, in all age groups, than there were in January.
The number of cases among children has more than doubled over the last two weeks, most of which are too young to be vaccinated. There were 13,020 new cases among children up to age 17 over the last week.
Active Union members are sick with COVID, both vaccinated and unvaccinated, both at home and in the hospital.
Encouragements:
We estimate 80% of those attending Sunday worship at Union Christian Church are vaccinated.
Vaccination continues to offer strong (though not absolute) protection against the COVID virus.
The following statistics are from the Northeast Georgia Health System, including 4 hospitals and 3 other facilities in Lumpkin, Hall, Jackson & Barrow counties.
Fewer than 1 in 10 patients in the Northeast Georgia Health System have been vaccinated.
Only 1 in 25 patients in the ICU have been vaccinated.
Each day I ask prayers of protection and healing from COVID-19 for our congregation and our community. Each day I wrestle with the response to this pandemic that I should recommend to our congregation. Please continue to consider your own health conditions as you make decisions about attending locations and events in our community, and in our congregation. And most of all, please continue to consider the health conditions of the most vulnerable among us as you choose mitigation measures (distancing, masks, attention to viral symptoms, etc.) in the community and at church. We continue, always, to respect one another, and trust one another as a part of the Union Church family.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Alan