Lanier County COVID-19 Cases Rise 6%: Local Football Scrimmages Cancelled
By Carol A. Gasser Moore
LAKELAND, Georgia – As Emory University infectious disease experts raise strong concerns about fall sports being played in areas, such as Georgia, particularly where there are high levels of COVID-19 cases the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) has cancelled all preseason football scrimmages across the state.
When the GHSA cancelled the scrimmages, locally last week’s Lanier County High School Band practice was also cancelled. But the GHSA does not have jurisdiction over the band program, so the LCHS had its scheduled band practice this week while following the Georgia Music Program Educators recommended COVID-19 guidelines.
The scrimmage cancellations affected Lanier Count’s two football scrimmages (Pataula Charter-Aug 21; Cook County-August 28). This follows the Emory experts say would be safer action since many communities have COVID-19 case levels that exceed what are believed to safe allowable returns to athletic competition.
COVID-19 Weekly Case Changes August 6 – 12, 2020
HEALTH SOUTH DISTRICT
Department of Public Health
| COUNTIES SOUTH HEALTH DISTRICT | Tested Positive | % Change | Deaths | % Change | Hospitalizations | % Change |
| Ben Hill | 371 495 | 25% + | 5 | 40%+ | 43 | 23%+ |
| Berrien | 324 | 19%+ | 1 | 100% | 15 | 20% |
| Brooks | 419 | 7%+ | 17 | 0% | 47 | 2%+ |
| Cook | 456 | 8%+ | 6 | 0% | 45 | 2%+ |
| Echols | 225 | 4%+ | 2 | 0% | 8 | 12%+ |
| Irwin | 174 | 9%+ | 1 | 0% | 26 | 11%+ |
| Lanier | 225 | 6%+ | 4 | 0% | 15 | 6%+ |
| Lowndes | 3257 | 6%+ | 50 | 32%+ | 153 | 9%+ |
| Tift | 1380 | 6%+ | 44 | 20%+ | 181 | 4%+ |
| Turner | 260 | 98%+ | 18 | 0% | 40 | 5%+ |
