DEBORAH DENISE HALL

Deborah Denise Hall, 64, of Wildwood, GA, passed away on Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at her residence.

Deborah was employed at the C.R.T.C. in Savannah, Georgia, and attended the Wildwood United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her parents, Clyde & Roisey McSpadden Henderson.

Survivors include her daughters, Casandra (Judd) Martins, Tampa, FL, Shana Hall, Gonzales, LA, Stephine Hall & Ashley Hall, both of Wildwood, GA; brothers, John Henderson, Chattanooga, TN, & Clyde Henderson, Jr., Wildwood, GA; sister, Rhonda Shearer, Olympia, WA; grandchildren, Tyler Ray Martins, Luna Hall, Jasmin Manzella, Jeremiah Hall, & Liam Hall; several nieces, nephews, & cousins.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 2, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. in the chapel of Ryan Funeral Home with Rev. Billy Joe Conner officiating.

Please share your expressions of sympathy at ryanfuneralhome.net.

The family will receive friends on Saturday from 12:00 noon until the funeral hour at Ryan Funeral Home & Crematory, Trenton, GA.

Governor Kemp Extends Shelter In Place Guidelines for Elderly and At Risk Residents

by: Summer Kelley

As the State of Georgia begins re-opening for business, Governor Brian Kemp issues an Executive Order today to extend a Shelter in Place order for the Elderly and At Risk residents in the state, re-open businesses, and extend large gathering ban.

Those who are over 65, residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities, and residents who have diabetes, severe obesity, heart and chronic lung problems, are immuno-compromised or have other significant health issues are being told to continue to shelter in place until June 12, 2020.

Most businesses have been given to the go ahead to re-open following state and CDC guidelines, except Bars and Nightclubs, operators of amusement park rides, live performance venues, and public swimming pools. Those businesses may open after 11:59 pm on May 13, unless the order to remain close is extended.

The ban on large gatherings remains in place, so no gathering of more than ten people in a single place unless a space of six feet can be maintained between each person. Exceptions to the ban include cohabitating persons, family units, or roommates, critical infrastructure, and transitory or incidental grouping. Dining rooms and restaurants may have no more than ten people per 500 sq. feet not including bathrooms, hallways, and spaces closed to patrons.

More information on the guidelines for various businesses which are opening can be found below.

Drive-thru COVID-19 Testing Will Be Available in Dade

by: Summer Kelley

Drive-thru testing planned for Dade County was announced during the April 30 COVID-19 Update.

County Executive Ted Rumley said the county had been working with the Department of Public Health to get active COVID-19 swab testing for Dade County. EMA Director Alex Case provided more information on the active COVID-19 testing. Active COVID-19 testing has been being done in three counties in the Department of Public Health District 1 of which Dade County is a part. Drive-thru swab testing has been set up to be done at the Dade County High School parking lot by the Department of Public Health. Testing will be done on Thursday, May 7 and Thursday, May 14. If you have been exhibiting symptoms, or have come in contact with someone who has COVID-19, and want to be tested you must call 706-802-5329 to get your assigned number for drive thru testing in Dade. Case said to be prepared that you may be in the car line waiting a while depending on how many people need to be tested. Those who do not call ahead can come to the entrance of the testing and answer the questions regarding exposure, but they may be turned around and sent away. Case said they are limited to doing the testing for only a certain amount of time. Catoosa will be doing the same testing on May 8 and May 15. Testing will be held in the students' parking lot to the left of Tradition Lane as you come in to the high school parking lot.

Antibody testing for those who believe they have already had COVID-19 can be done at the Ready Clinic in Lafayette. The antibody testing is $40 per test and has been a 15 minute test. The Ready Clinic is currently waiting on more test kits with several hundred people on the waiting list. Rumley said the Ready Clinic is going to be offering a different antibody test that has a 4 to 5 day turnaround for results and is covered under insurance. The address for the Ready Clinic is 106 Pearl Drive in Lafayette, GA and you can call 706-620-0200 for more information.

More information about COVID-19 testing can be found at the following link:

http://www.dadecounty-ga.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=65&fbclid=IwAR3qsMfF07fGugLALLkLX5GojAH6PT0XkFL5Dk-H2t6FWg871FLHaLjmKjA

A full video of the April 30 COVID-19 Update can be seen below.