Elbert County Coroner's Office

The decision by the Georgia Dept. of Public Health to suspend shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine to the Medical Center of Elberton has caused fear in our communi...ty, and is a matter of great concern to Elbert County officials. Elbert County has 4 vaccine providers, but The Medical Center has dedicated the resources and staff to administer far more doses than any of the other 3 providers. We value all of our vaccination providers, but the numbers alone make The Medical Center our primary provider. And all our providers are providing this service for little or no profit. Elbert County has investigated the facts leading up to this decision so that we could respond appropriately. We find that The Medical Center acted in good faith and not in defiance of State or Federal guidelines. The first week of January, the Medical Center administered 175 doses of the vaccine to teachers and school personnel (18 of whom are over 65 years of age), as part of their plan to use the first round of doses before their expiration date. At that time, the classification of school teachers was not specified by CDC or DPH guidelines, and was subject to interpretation. Then on January 11, 2021 the guidelines were clarified and teachers were placed in a different category to be immunized at a later date. By then, a decision had to be made as to whether to administer the 2nd dose of the 2-dose regimen, or to allow the 1st dose to lose effect and result in a waste. The Medical Center decided to administer the 2nd doses to school teachers this week to avoid a waste. We also believe that this decision, although not in strict compliance with the guidelines, was made in good faith and in the best interests of our community. One of the early guidelines was that the vaccine be administered to all segments of our community without regard to socioeconomic status, and we believe that the school system is a true representation of our community. The safety of our educators and students, and the continuity of in-person learning, is a major priority. Although The Medical Center is a private business, this decision affects the health and safety of our entire community. We appreciate Elbert Memorial Hospital, Ingles Pharmacy, and the Health Department for also serving as providers, but we understand that they currently don't have the staff necessary to administer immunizations as quickly as needed. The State could choose to provide more staffing for the Health Department, but it would take time to administer that plan. Therefore, we stand by The Medical Center's decisions and we stand ready to assist them.

To every family that Coroner Chuck Almond along with his deputy coroners, Joe Colvard, Howard Gailey, and Beth Seymour has had the privilege to serve this year, and to all of those who are celebrating these holidays without someone special. We would like for you to know that all of us here with The Elbert County Coroners Office are thinking about you this holiday season and in the new year to come. We wish you all health, happiness, and peace in 2021. Take care of yourselves and each other.

***UPDATE 12-15-20*** After a complete investigation by the GBI Medical Examiners office In Decatur, it has been determined that there was no foul play found in... the death of Mr. Cox. Elbert County Coroner's office has been able to confirm through the the GBI Medical Examiners office the identity of a deceased male that was found on Cabin Creek Drive in Elbert County June 27th, 2020. The male is identified as Mr. Billy Tommy Cox, 35 years old, of Athens Georgia. A missing persons report was filed on June 22nd, 2020 for Mr. Cox by his family through Elbert County Sheriffs Office. Mr. Cox was in Elberton meeting an acquaintance. Cause and manner of death is still under investigation by Elbert County Sheriff's Office, Elbert County Coroner's office and the GBI Medical Examiners Office. No other details are available at this time.

FM104.1 WKLY BREAKING NEWS - MAN KILLED IN HARTWELL MOBILE HOME FIRE Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John F. King announced today that John David Yates, ...58, passed away in a deadly fire in Hart County on Sunday, December 6. The fire occurred around 6:00 p.m. at 64 Marshal Dove Road in Hartwell. Upon arriving to the 40-year-old, 900-square-foot mobile home, local firefighters found the home in flames and Mr. Yates’ body inside the residence. His body has been sent to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy. This fire is still under investigation, but there is reason to believe that poorly-positioned space heaters could have caused the deadly fire, said Commissioner King. Unfortunately, our office sees an increase in fires due to space heaters as we head into colder weather. It is crucial for Georgians to follow safety tips such as keeping their space heater away from combustible materials. Commissioner King’s State Fire Investigation is continuing to work with the Hart County Fire Department, Hart County Sheriff’s Office, and Hart County Coroner’s Office on this case. All authorities involved send their thoughts and prayers to the victim’s family. This marks the 86th fire fatality in Georgia for 2020.