COVID-19 cases spike in Macon

Lee Buchanan

editor@thefranklinpress.com

COVID-19 cases continue to spike in Macon County, with the health department reporting 137 active cases as of June 8.

Macon County Public Health reported 155 total cases of COVID-19 in the county, including 137 active positive cases, 17 recovered and one death. A week earlier, on June 1, a total of 90 cases were reported.

The health department has identified two clusters of COVID-19 cases, one at Ebenezer Church in Franklin and another at Old Edwards Inn in Highlands.

Macon County Public Health officials did not respond to a request for more information by press time Tuesday, June 9.

A cluster is defined as at least five individual, connected positive cases identified within a 14-day period.

Macon’s 155 cases are the most in the seven western-most counties, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Haywood is next with 63, followed by 55 in Jackson County. DHHS also reported 44 cases per 10,000 people in Macon, the highest rate among the seven western-most counties.

Also on June 8, the health department reported that one of its employees had tested positive. 

“The employee is isolating at home and doing well,” according to a press release. “Close contacts of the employee have been notified, tested and are quarantined until they receive their results. This individual has not had contact with the public as part of their duties during the COVID-19 response.”

The health department reported on June 4 that a Macon County employee tested positive. The employee is also isolating at home, according health officials.

The spike has coincided with an increase in testing, from 1,321 as of June 4 to 1,632 on June 8, according to health department reports.

On Thursday, June 4, cars began lining up just after 8 a.m. for drive-thru COVID-19 testing event in Highlands.

By 2 p.m., a total of 251 tests had been completed and sent to the health department. The testing was free and open to anyone who believed they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

 “We tested 251 people, which is more than I thought we would do in the five-hour time window we had,” Macon County Fire Marshal Jimmy Teem, who handled the logistics for the free testing site, said. “Everything went relatively smoothly and despite the long line of cars at times, the wait wasn’t terribly long.”

Teem noted that there were 150 test kits on site at the beginning of the day and another 150 on standby offsite for when they were needed. Firefighters from Macon County Squad 4 handled traffic control and The Farm at Old Edwards offered the testing facility under its covered driveway and entrance.

There have been 1,839 COVID-19 tests completed and reported to Macon County Public Health and there are 198 tests pending results

Following the initial drive-thru testing at The Farm at Old Edwards in Highlands, MCPH officials said a second round of testing would be open to the public on Tuesday, June 9 at the same location. 

The Highlands-Cashiers Health Foundation conducted a drive-thru testing event at The Village Green in Cashiers on Saturday, June 6. The foundation will host a similar event at the Highlands Rec Center on Saturday, June 13. Anyone who would like to be tested at the HCHF event in Highlands should call 828-506-6907 to register and receive an appointment time.

Ryan Hanchett, editor of The Highlander, contributed to this report.