Sunday Reads – Jan. 2, 2022
Welcome to the new year — if it seems a lot like the old one, let’s all agree now to work together to change that. In the meantime, here are a few things from the past week to get you caught up.
Covid marches on
The Omicron variant turned out to be the Thanksgiving turkey that just won’t leave. While its effects may seem milder for some, hospital and health care workers across the state would beg to differ. They are getting hammered with more cases, mostly from those already vulnerable and those who have refused the vaccine. Coastal Georgia counties slightly lag the state in case percentages, with the exception of Glynn at nearly 200 cases per thousand people. Here’s a spot to see how your county stacks up, and a story from Georgia Public Broadcasting to bring you up to date on what’s happening and the steps the state is taking to help with the fallout. What can we do to change this? Let’s cut the risks to ourselves and others by remembering all the things they told us nearly two years ago: Wear a mask, wash your hands and practice safe distancing. And get vaccinated.
Politics or football or both
Members of the Georgia Legislature appear to be using the nearly nonexistent classroom discussions of “critical race theory” as a political football just as the real college football season is nearly over. The efforts also include making school boards nonpartisan statewide — which would affect only 40% of Georgia counties. The discussions play into political strategies for the 2022 U.S. Senate and statewide elections. Teaching racial history in schools also has become a wedge issue for the First District Congressional race, which includes all of Coastal Georgia, now that Rep. Buddy Carter has introduced national legislation on the topic. Georgia Recorder pulled information together this week to explain the concern over the issue, or lack of it, as well as what may pop up in prefiled bills before the session renews in another week.
For your second cup: Solutions
Regular readers will know that health care access in Georgia is a regular topic for Sunday Reads. In our efforts to bring in-depth journalism and ideas for change relating to Coastal Georgia in some way, we offer a look at a story by Andy Miller at Georgia Health News that points out solutions to the sad situation underserved and rural communities face when it comes to regular, affordable health care. The story is the finale of a five-part series that focused on the key weaknesses in the system and the conclusions from that reporting.
A note of appreciation
The year is so very young, and we already are grateful for the generosity of our readers during the past few weeks of our annual fundraising effort. While we generally have words at hand, it’s very hard to express how much we appreciate your support for in-depth journalism to serve Coastal Georgia. We’ll work hard to keep your trust and shed light on issues affecting all of us.
Thank you.
Covid rages at record levels, Georgia hospitals are inundated. Here’s Kemp’s plan of attack
Statewide, more than 30% of COVID tests are positive and, in some areas, up to 40%. Recorded cases are hitting peak levels since the beginning of the pandemic.
Georgia COVID-19 daily statistics
Today’s cases, change, deaths, hospitalizations, testing, vaccination sites and tracker
State lawmakers to take aim at racial history in public schools, partisan school boards
Teachers and administrators from across the state agree critical race theory is not discussed in Georgia grade school classrooms, and they worry more pressing problems like school funding could get short shrift.
State lawmakers poised to add expanded gun access to 2022 legislative agenda
Lawmakers in the House and Senate filed so-called constitutional carry bills last year that will remain alive in 2022. They would remove the requirement for Georgians to have a permit to carry weapons.
Potential remedies to stubborn problems in rural health care
Georgia has the third highest uninsured rate in the country, and rural access and maternal health care is fading. But there are solutions.
Support non-partisan, solutions-based investigative journalism without bias, fear or favor on issues affecting Savannah and Coastal Georgia.
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