Toccoa Mayor reminds residents to wear masks

Toccoa Mayor Terry Carter reminds residents to wear a mask.

During the recent Toccoa City Commission meeting, Carter announced that with the positive cases of COVID-19 increasing in the recent weeks, that residents should take caution and wear a mask when out in public.

He says not only does wearing a mask protect yourself, it also protects those around you.

“I just want to bring to everyone’s attention, in case you’re not keeping up with our COVID numbers, but, as of yesterday (September 13), our community had 922 positive cases since the beginning of the count,” Carter said. “And 32 of those we have lost, and many more of those have been fighting for their lives to survive, and many have survived with no issues; but, the part that’s troubling, is we’re averaging about 100 new cases every two weeks. So, I just ask everyone ‘please wear your mask, to try to protect our neighbors,’ we’ve lost too many of our friends and neighbors.

Since the beginning of September, Stephens County has seen an increase of 80 cases, an average increase of 4 cases per day.

According to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people are encouraged to wear masks in public settings and when around people who don’t live in their household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.

Officials with the CDC explain that masks act as simple barriers to help prevent respiratory droplets from traveling into the air and onto other people when the person wearing the mask coughs, sneezes, talks, or raiser their voice. This recommendation is based on what is known about the role respiratory droplets play in the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19.

For anyone who does not have a mask, Stephens County Hospital in partnership with Stephens County Emergency Management will hold a weekly mask giveaway drive-thru.

The first mask giveaway will be held on Wednesday, September 23, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at the vacant lot across from the Historic Ritz Theatre, this giveaway is sponsored in conjunction with Toccoa City Hall.

Then, on Wednesday, September 30, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Osborne Wood Products on Hwy 123.

On Wednesday, October 7, from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. mask will be given away at the Stephens County Senior Center, located on Rose Lane.

On Wednesday, October 14, from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. you can pick up a mask at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, located on Whitman Street.

The last mask drive-thru will be held on Wednesday, October 21, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at the Pointe Church.