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In the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. – when supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the seat of Congress to cause widespread destruction, reportedly resulting in four deaths – Savannah-area leaders of both the Democratic and Republican parties took to social media to express their dismay about the insurrection attempt and appreciation for the law-enforcement officers who put an end to the siege.

Savannah Mayor Van Johnson on Twitter:

“I am in disbelief while watching the illegal and disruptive activities at our nation’s capitol. This IS NOT America. This IS anarchy. We must be able to disagree without becoming violently disagreeable. Peace, law and order will prevail. God help us!”

U.S. Representative for Georgia’s First District Earl “Buddy” Carter on Twitter:

“The violence and anarchy is unacceptable and must end. Please listen to realdonaldtrump’s call to stay peaceful immediately. Thank you to our Capitol Police and law enforcement.”

Georgia U.S. Senator-elect Raphael Warnock on Twitter:

“In this moment of unrest, violence and anger, we must remember the words of Dr. King, ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.’ Let each of us try to be a light to see our country out of this dark moment.”

Georgia U.S. Senator Kelly Loeffler on Twitter:

“Violence is abhorrent and I strongly condemn today’s attacks on our Capitol. We must stand united as one nation under God. I’m grateful for our brave men and women of law enforcement. May God bless America.”

Georgia U.S. Senator-elect Jon Ossoff on Twitter:

“Today’s insurrectionist attack on the U.S. Capitol was incited by Trump’s poisonous lies & flagrant assault on our Constitution. The GOP must discard and disavow Trump once and for all, end its attacks on the electoral process, & commit fully to the peaceful transfer of power.”

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Twitter:

“It is unimaginable that we have people in our state & country who are undermining public safety, attacking law enforcement, & breaking into gov't buildings. This is not the GA way & it's not the way of our country. These activities are a disgrace & quite honestly un-American.”

U.S. Representative for South Carolina’s First District Nancy Mace on Twitter:

“Mr. President, enough is enough. This is not a protest, this is anarchy. Get off Twitter and work to restore peace to the Capitol.”

Like an assortment of fare that synchronizes the polarity of the previous year’s live-music cravings, Savannah’s most audibly ambrosial and culturally rich music festival is planning a comeback for its 31st annual season. After its 2020 cancellation, the Savannah Music Festival is set to at last take place again during May 18-30 at the Trustees’ Garden.

With the complete lineup of acts to be announced on Feb. 23, the re-envisioned music festival will look a little different to patrons this year as it attempts to move away from small, intimate venues in light of the ongoing global pandemic.

“As with most organizations and businesses, the Savannah Music Festival has had to adapt due to COVID, and we will continue to do so as needed,” explained SMF Artistic Director Ryan McMaken.

Being designed to account for necessary safety measures and protocols, social distancing, and controlled capacities, this year’s 12-day slate of events will take place largely outdoors. Though the Trustees’ Garden is a familiar setting for the festival, as it was a featured venue for the festival finale in 2018, this year’s alfresco approach is a drastic shift away from their signature propinquity. However, McMaken doesn’t think this new approach will temper reputation nor experience.

“I believe that music lovers are hungry for safe opportunities to re-engage with artists,” said McMaken.

In addition to the festival’s main stage at Trustees’ Garden, chamber music performances with socially distanced, limited-capacity seating will be held at the Trinity United Methodist Church. All events will take place rain or shine, and the festival is also exploring additional off-season concerts to take place at outdoor venues, such as the North Garden at the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum.

“We all just have to be as adaptable and flexible as possible,” said McMaken.

This flexibility to expectation also includes livestream viewing options, contact-free event entry, and heightened safety measures. According to the festival, these decisions - like the postponement from its typical March/April time frame - was made with the following considerations: to minimize the chances of cancellations and potential rescheduling, to address the concerns of many artists about possible travel restrictions, and to allow patrons to plan their attendance with more information about festival safety protocols.

“Since March 11th of 2020, when it became clear that our season needed to be canceled, our team began working on various scenarios and ‘what if’ plans,” said McMaken. “Due to that work, a strong team and incredible support from our board and patrons, we’re confident that the organization will emerge from this challenging experience as strong as ever.”

What will be familiar to festivalgoers is the usual assortment of classical, American/roots/acoustic, and jazz music. Featured artists announced so far include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Additionally, the festival will include other exemplary jazz artists including Christian McBride & Inside Straight, as well as classical duo David Finckel & Wu Han and Associate Artistic Director Mike Marshall in a special Stringband Spectacular performance.

Those on the edge of their seats for the announcement of the full lineup can anticipate rock ’n’ roll acts and a variety of world music, as in years past when musicians have visited Savannah from 19 countries and five continents.

Ticket pre-sales for the 2021 Savannah Music Festival for donors, sponsors, and SMF In Unison members will start on Feb. 24 and run through Wednesday, March 3. Ticket sales to the general public will begin on Thursday, March 4.

Visit savannahmusicfestival.org or call 912-525-5050 for more information, or stop by the Savannah Box Office at 216 E. Broughton Street.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock, a Savannah native, is projected by the Associated Press to prevail over Georgia’s incumbent Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler in one of the Peach State’s two nationally prominent Jan. 5 runoff elections.

Warnock’s projected victory would make him the first African-American U.S. Senator from the state of Georgia, and according to his campaign, he will also be the first Savannah native to be elected to the U.S. Senate in 150 years.

Warnock was raised under humble circumstances in Savannah’s Kayton Homes public-housing project along with 11 siblings. He attended Sol C. Johnson High School, where he participated in the Upward Bound Program, before moving on to graduate from Morehouse College.

Since 2005 Warnock has served as senior pastor at Atlanta’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, where his hero Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once served. Warnock is the fifth senior pastor in the history of the church, and the youngest pastor ever selected to serve in that position, according to the Warnock campaign.

During his campaign, Warnock repeatedly visited the Savannah area and spoke to supporters at multiple Democratic rallies, including one in Garden City on Jan. 3 when he appeared with Democratic Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris and Georgia’s other Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff, who ran to unseat incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue; as of noon on Jan. 6, that race remains too close to call.

“Georgia, I am honored by the faith that you have shown in me, and I promise you this tonight, I am going to the Senate to work for all Georgians, no matter who you cast your vote for in this election,” Warnock said in a victory speech.

If Ossoff wins the race against Perdue, the U.S. Senate will be split 50-50 between Democrats and Republicans for the next two years, giving Harris the tie-breaking vote for Democrats.

Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and related festivities will be canceled for the second year in a row due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Van Johnson announced during a Jan. 5 press conference.

Johnson is recommending that the city continue its moratorium on permitting special events through the end of March, as the coronavirus pandemic is still posing the same challenges that caused the festival’s cancellation in 2020. Johnson said that he made this decision after observing unsafe behavior among crowds during Savannah’s holiday-season celebrations.

“I hoped and prayed that our situation might improve, but what I think is that what we’ve witnessed this holiday season will put the health of our city and our citizens at risk. Therefore, I am recommending that we continue our detouring on events issued by the city through the end of March 2021,” said Johnson.

John Fogarty, the general chairman of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee, issued a statement supporting the mayor’s decision.

“We understand that the City of Savannah is not issuing any special event permits through March 2021. As a result, we will not have the 2021 Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade. While this is disappointing, we are confident in the City’s decision. Our top priority has always been to ensure the health, safety and welfare of parade participants and attendees,” said Fogarty.

Due to the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, the St. Patrick’s Day parade was canceled last year on March 11, just as celebrations were beginning for the March 17 holiday celebrating Irish traditions.

“After the 2020 parade cancellation, we were hopeful for 2021 and we had applied for the special event permit. Over the past several months we have continued to work with the City of Savannah during the permitting process and now we need to be united in doing what is best for our community,” said Fogarty.

“Since the first Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade in 1824, there have been extraordinary times when we had to cancel the parade, and this is unfortunately one of those times. Going forward, we commit to keep you aware of our future plans and we appreciate the community’s understanding and support,” Fogarty added.

The number of structure fires occurring during the holiday season in Savannah is dropping since the 2017 introduction of the city’s Keep the Wreath Green Holiday Fire Safety Awareness Program, according to a Jan. 4 press announcement by Savannah Fire.

During the 2020 holiday season – defined by Savannah Fire as lasting from Nov. 16, 2020 to Jan. 2, 2021 – there were ten structure fires in Savannah, which displaced 12 people. Since the Keep the Wreath Green Program began in 2017, there has been a 56.5% decrease in holiday-season structure fires.

Keep the Wreath Green is a fire-safety awareness program in which fire-safety wreaths with green lights are placed at Savannah Fire Headquarters and the Memorial Medical Center Campus from the week before Thanksgiving to Jan. 2. Each time a structure fire is reported during the holidays, one green bulb is replaced with a red bulb.

In 2019, there were 14 holiday-season structure fires resulting in two deaths and 27 displaced residents. In 2018, there were 22 holiday-season fires – one occurring at The Olde Pink House restaurant – that caused one injury and 30 displacements. In 2017, 23 holiday-season fires resulted in one death, two temporary business closures, and more than a dozen displacements. In 2016, the year before the fire-awareness program began, 28 holiday-season structure fires occurred.

“Structure fires are dangerous and devastating, especially during the holiday season,” stated Savannah Fire Chief Derik Minard. “The Savannah Fire Department works hard to keep the citizens of Savannah informed and prepared to prevent fires. I am pleased that our fire-safety education programs are making a positive impact in the community.”

The Savannah Fire Department also issues fire-safety tips and encourages Savannah residents to call 912-651-6756 for a free smoke alarm, smoke-alarm batteries, and home fire-safety surveys.

Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris visited Garden City on Jan. 3 to speak at a rally supporting Georgia’s Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, drawing hundreds of people to the drive-up event.

Amid the sunny winter weather of 2021’s first Sunday, Harris addressed the excited Democratic supporters who packed the parking lot of the Garden City Recreation Department. When Harris made her way to the stage, enthusiastic cheers and honking from the audience flooded the lot before she urged the crowd to vote for Warnock and Ossoff in Georgia’s Jan. 5 Senate runoff election, which will determine the balance of power in Washington D.C. for the next two years.

“We have talked, we have prayed together. We have talked about the fate of our country, the future of our country, the promise of our country,” said Harris. “They have talked to me about the state of Georgia. They have said to me ‘Kamala, you need to know what’s happening in our state. These are the needs of the people. These are the needs of the children. These are the needs of small businesses. These are the needs of working people.’ That’s who these two men are.”

Preceding Harris, Warnock spoke onstage about his humble upbringing in Savannah, where he grew up in public housing. “It’s been 150 years since we got a Georgia senator for Savannah, and I think it’s about time,” said Warnock.

Warnock also shared a sentimental anecdote about his family history in Savannah, saying that his mother went from picking tobacco and cotton to picking her son for United States Senator.

“These kinds of things are only possible in America,” he said.

During the rally, Ossoff delivered a speech emphasizing that he would focus on “health, jobs, and justice” if elected.

“I want you to feel in your hearts a sense of optimism and excitement about what we can do for our people,” Ossoff told the crowd.

The audience was most excited when the candidates promised that if they were elected, they would work to raise the federal minimum wage to $15, as well as increase Pell Grants in Georgia and improve public health, jobs, and justice in the state.

A frequent reminder throughout the rally blared from the speakers: “We take COVID-19 regulations very seriously.” The audience was instructed to stay in their cars at all times unless they were going to the restroom, in which case they were required to wear a face mask.

Grammy-award winning musician Ne-Yo also appeared at the rally to perform a few songs, including fan-favorite “She Got Her Own” in tribute to the first female Vice President.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Savannah Mayor Van Johnson also spoke during the rally. Other local officials in attendance included Savannah Alderwomen Alicia Blakely and Kesha Gibson-Carter, as well as former Mayor Edna Jackson.

The Chatham County Commission will soon feature several new faces when the current administration – led by Chairman Al Scott, who has served two consecutive terms in his role since early 2013 – will come to an end on Jan. 4, 2021.

Scott, a political trailblazer with a long record of service in Georgia state government, was prevented by term limits from running for the county’s top elected office for a third time. He will be replaced by Chester Ellis, who will advance to the chairman seat on Jan. 4 after serving a single term as the county’s District 8 Commissioner.

Four other current commissioners will continue serving on the board after winning a new four-year term in the Nov. 3 general election: Helen Stone of District 1, Bobby Lockett of District 3, Pat Farrell of District 4, and Dean Kicklighter of District 7.

The new commissioners set to be inaugurated on Jan. 4 are Larry “Gator” Rivers of District 2, Tanya Milton of District 5, Aaron “Adot” Whitely of District 6, and Kenneth Adams of District 8.

The new commission’s inauguration ceremony will be held at the board’s headquarters within downtown Savannah’s Old County Courthouse at 11 a.m. on Jan. 4. With space extremely limited for viewing the ceremony in person so as to abide by COVID-19 social-distancing guidelines, the in-person audience is primarily restricted to family and friends of the commissioners.

However, the ceremony will be broadcast live on local Comcast channel 16, as well as by livestream on the county website (chathamcountyga.gov) and on the Chatham County Georgia Facebook page.

During the current County Commission’s final meeting on Dec. 18, the board’s four departing members were honored with a presentation of wooden plaques engraved with some of their accomplishments from their time in office.

Outgoing Commissioner Yvonne Holmes of District 2 – who has only filled this role by special appointment since September to finish out the term of her late husband, James Holmes, after his passing in August following a battle with COVID-19 – thanked her fellow board members when accepting her plaque, which was also engraved with her husband’s accomplishments.

“Thank you so much for allowing me to serve the rest of James’ time here. It’s been quite rewarding,” said Holmes, a retired pediatric nurse who worked for many years at Memorial Health. “On behalf of myself and my family, thank you so much for all of the support that we received from everybody.”

Next, Commissioner Tabitha Odell of District 5 addressed the meeting while accepting her plaque, making a point to express gratitude to Chatham County’s staff.

“We have managed to be unified while still addressing the needs of our individual parties and constituents.”

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“I am really going to miss the incredible people that work here at the county. They are amazingly competent, extremely efficient, and it has been my sincere pleasure to work with the staff and with this board,” said Odell, who will now focus on her expanding cosmetics business. “We have managed to be unified while still addressing the needs of our individual parties and constituents.”

Odell was followed by Commissioner James “Jay” Jones of District 6, who on Dec. 15 was re-elected to continue serving as the Chatham County Democratic Committee chair. While expressing gratitude to his colleagues, Jones noted the limitations he encountered while serving on the board.

“When I came into county government, as far as four years ago, I said yeah, I’m going to change everything I can in Savannah,” Jones said. “I learned quickly that when you live in Savannah, you can only change things in Savannah two blocks up.”

Finally, Chairman Scott stood before the commission to receive his plaque. After a political career including service in the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia State Senate – where he was the first African American elected to the senate from Chatham County – Scott’s public service will not conclude when he hands over the gavel on Jan. 4. Scott was appointed as a member of the Chatham County Hospital Authority on Nov. 6, and he remains an active member of leadership in the Savannah Branch NAACP.

Before Scott was given the floor and his plaque at the County Commission’s Dec. 18 meeting, Ellis honored his predecessor with effusive gratitude.

“This commission wants to thank you for the leadership that you have shown. And I can honestly say that I’ve never seen you rattled, whatever issue came up,” Ellis said to Scott. “No matter how others may have expressed it, you stayed cool, calm, and collected.”

Scott replied to this emotional tribute with his trademark economy of words.

“Thank you, and I appreciate the staff putting this together,” Scott said abruptly to laughter and applause before returning to his familiar chairman seat for the remainder of the meeting.

Offbeat storefronts, dive bars, a 1940s cinema converted into a music venue, and an over-the-top burger joint are but a few of the eclectic destinations that make up one of Atlanta’s most unique neighborhoods: Little Five Points. The name itself comes from the intersection of Moreland Avenue, McLendon Avenue, and Euclid Avenue, creating the five points of the alternative Atlanta hotspot.

While Savannah’s Starland District has the closest vibe to Atlanta’s art-filled Little Five Points, the Hostess City lacks a neighborhood that is aptly named for its intersecting points. Similar offbeat businesses make up and make known our local art-focused Starland neighborhood. Graveface Records, Two Tide Brewing, and Back in the Day Bakery are just some of the unique businesses that have put Starland on the map.

The Starland District edges into Bingville, which sits next to Cane Park and Jackson Park. All three are growing neighborhoods. It is easy to imagine a future that includes an even larger Starland neighborhood that has lurched into something more similar to Little Five Points. Douglas Kaufman, the owner of 3 Points Food Court, had precisely that vision when creating Savannah’s new food-truck park.

3 Points Food Court is located on Orchard Street, where the three districts meet. Kaufman is at the forefront of trying to expand this little-known district with the grand opening of his brand-new food truck destination happening on Jan. 16.

To explain Kaufman's vision, 3 Points marketing mastermind Katie Siplon said, “To try to play off Atlanta’s Five Points, we could do 3 Points, and maybe it would catch for this area and other businesses could come down and start doing the same thing.”

The name is a direct play off of Atlanta’s well-known district, Siplon elaborated, and in fact 3 Points sits next to where the points of each Savannah district meet.

“He came up with 3 Points because this location is kind of where three of the boroughs come together. It is Cane Park, Jackson Park, and Bingville,” Siplon said of Kaufman’s inspiration. “He kind of wanted to add something to build up this side of town, make it more desirable, and bring things to this area that wouldn’t normally be here.”

It was named 3 Points Food Court because the new site is so much more than just a food truck parking lot. According to Siplon, “Our vision for this is of course a food truck park, but we want this to be more. We are going to have regular entertainment booked weekly. From live bands, to DJs, to comedians. On the same note, we want the local schools and performance academy to use it for recitals and their concerts.”

A large open stage sits in the center of the food court and is made up of a unique hand-painted backdrop. With the pandemic still raging and Georgians becoming ever more anxious to return to some state of normal, an outdoor venue is ideal for an escape − another need that Kaufman recognized and decided to help fill.

“We do not have an onsite bar or restaurant because we wanted to keep the focus on the local food trucks that we bring in, and the entertainers,” says Siplon.

There is enough space for five different food trucks to be featured at any given time. As for alcohol, the site will allow patrons to bring their own booze. Identification will be checked at the entrance to ensure no consumption laws are broken. Siplon explained that the BYOB approach “will be at certain times and for certain events. It will probably be on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.”

Bathrooms, tables to relax, yard games, and unique lighting were included as part of the construction of the park − all of which can be experienced at the January 16th official grand opening for 3 Points Food Court. The park will be filled with local food trucks, and guests can also expect live music and a ribbon cutting. The event is open to the public.

After Jan. 16th, the park will be open Wednesdays through Sundays to get things going. Wednesdays and Thursdays will be open during evening hours only, but the other days will have daytime hours. Fridays and Saturdays feature late-night hours from 9pm to midnight for those pouring out of the Starland bars.

In December the park test-drove the site with a bustling charity event. 3 Points hosted five food trucks for a morning toy drive and five different trucks for an evening toy drive for Savannah Feed the Hungry. Although it was for charity, the first event served as a perfect way to work out the park’s logistics before the big opening.

To find the most up-to-date information about upcoming events, visit the park’s website at 3pointsfoodcourt.com.

“On our website we will have the truck schedule posted for every week, and also special events. There is a special events page. The trucks have a page they can go to and book online,” Siplon told me.

3 Points will also be active on social-media pages (Instagram at @3pointsfoodcourt and Facebook at 3 Points Food Court) with current information about available events and trucks as well. Future events at the park are to include a Farmers Market Day, comedy acts, movie acts, and so much more than most food truck parks offer.

3 Points Food Court: 409 Orchard St., Savannah. Visit 3pointsfoodcourt.com for more details.

At least 200 hardy waders gathered on the north side of Tybee Island’s pier to take a traditional New Year’s Day dip in the chilly Atlantic, despite official Tybee Polar Plunge activities only occurring online this year as a precaution against spreading the COVID-19 pandemic.

While Tybee Island’s pier and surrounding beaches are usually packed with Polar Plunge events every New Year’s Day, organizers decided to make the event virtual in November, encouraging anyone to take a Jan. 1 swim anywhere and submit a video or photo of their feat for an online celebration. Proceeds from participating in the Polar Plunge boost the Tybee Post Theater.

However, December media reports announced that the Polar Plunge would be held in person, leading event organizers to emphasize that the event was virtual-only and that no official events would be held by the Tybee pier.

Nonetheless, by 11:50 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 1, some 200 waders had gathered at the pier-side beach area ordinarily sectioned off on New Year's Day for Polar Plunge participants, while about another 200 people lined the northern pier railing to see this spectacle held regularly for the previous 22 years.

A few waders wore silly costumes in full Polar Plunge spirit – including people dressed as Superman, Ursula the Sea Witch, and Santa with a gingerbread man – while several wore their official 2021 Polar Plunge long-sleeved t-shirts, and most wore bikinis and swim trunks to take full advantage of the unseasonably sunny New Year’s Day.

Although no Polar Plunge officials were apparently present, two Tybee Island Fire Department units were on hand during Friday’s unofficial gathering, and several TV reporters were there to capture the event. Most participants followed social-distancing practices, and some wore masks while on the shore.

Ordinarily, a Polar Plunge emcee leads an amplified countdown to noon, at which point the waders all rush into the ocean at once. Lacking such an organized start on Friday, the rush into the waves was more haphazard; a couple minutes before noon, a few small groups began running toward the water, and the rest soon followed with their usual loud cheers and exclamations of shock once immersed in the wintry brine.

This was not the first time that a cherished Tybee tradition carried on in some form or another after officially being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. In December, the Tybee Christmas Parade was not held, but a semi-sanctioned Christmas Caravan popped up instead – and on March 14, when Tybee's St. Patrick's Day Parade was canceled that morning, hundreds of participants took to the streets anyway in a renegade parade amid open traffic.

The number of new COVID-19 cases and related hospitalizations is rising quickly in Chatham County, and area residents are advised to spend New Year’s Eve at home this year to avoid spreading the coronavirus, according to Chatham County’s top public-health official.

Dr. Lawton Davis, the Coastal Health District health director, held a press conference on Dec. 31 to announce the expansion of vaccination administration ordered the previous day by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey. Davis said that he expects the next phase of COVID-19 administration to begin locally on Jan. 11, although the details of the plan are still under consideration.

“This is and will continue to be a monumental effort,” Davis said of the logistics behind organizing coronavirus vaccinations. “There are a lot of moving parts, and we’re asking for the public’s patience.”

Currently the vaccine-administration plan is in phase 1a, when it is being distributed only to front-line healthcare workers, vulnerable residents of long-term care facilities, and employees at those facilities. According to a press release issued by the DPH on Dec. 30, the expansion of phase 1a will include vaccinations for adults aged 65 or older, law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders.

However, Davis warned that all of these plans are subject to limited availability of vaccine supplies, and reiterated that everyone who is vaccinated should be given two doses a few weeks apart from each other, which further strains vaccine supplies.

“This is very exciting, and I know people are anxious to be vaccinated,” Davis said, while noting that in Chatham County alone, there are approximately 60,000 residents who will be eligible to receive the vaccine under the phase 1a expansion, and there will most likely not be enough doses to inoculate all of them immediately. “We must have enough vaccine on hand to administer the second dose.”

Furthermore, Davis acknowledged that it will still be a long time before the COVID-19 vaccine will be available to the general public, and in the meantime it would be important for everyone to continue following coronavirus precautions like wearing a face mask, social distancing, and avoiding large gatherings.

“The reality is that we’re in the middle of a big surge, and people have to be careful,” Davis said, noting that on the morning of Dec. 31, 287 new COVID-19 cases were reported in Chatham County. “That’s the highest number, by a longshot, we’ve had since early August.”

Davis added that because of this situation, he and most other public-health officials recommend staying home on this New Year’s Eve to help prevent the ongoing spread of COVID-19, saying that even those who plan to be careful may become more reckless after indulging in a few drinks at any celebratory gathering.

“You’re just greatly increasing your risk of bumping into someone that has the virus,” Davis said of anyone attending New Year’s Eve gatherings. He added that cases of COVID-19 transmission have increased in the wake of Thanksgiving and Christmastime gatherings, which is a harbinger of dire consequences.

“Now the hospitalization surge has definitely begun,” Davis said.

Davis said that plans for rolling out the expansion of COVID-19 vaccine administration should be announced during the first week of January.