DeKalb activates CodeRed Alert to send COVID-19 safety reminders during Labor Day weekend

DeKalb County has activated the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) warning system to alert the public that while some progress has been made, the fight against the spread of COVID-19 is not over.

“Do not allow our efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 be undermined during the Labor Day weekend,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said. “We must remain vigilant because the fight against the deadly pandemic is not over.”

Since the pandemic began, DeKalb County has worked with its public and private partners to slow the spread of COVID-19 by distributing masks and sanitizer to residents and small businesses. The county also has encouraged businesses to implement a “no mask, no service” policy.

As a result of many large gatherings during the Memorial Day weekend, the state experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health statistics, DeKalb has recorded the state’s fourth-highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases (16,716) and 309 deaths.

The county will send out email and voice messages to the county’s 566,000 CodeRED emergency notification system subscribers. The Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) will also transmit a geocoded text message to all residents, visitors and commuters in county’s boundary at the time of the alert.

By utilizing IPAWS geocoding technology, all visitors in the county will receive targeted COVID-19 alerts and messages throughout the holiday weekend. 

This is the second time the county has used CodeRed to inform residents and visitors about the pandemic. The county used the system over the July 4 weekend to warn about rising infection rates. 

DeKalb County will urge residents and visitors to protect themselves and others by:

• Staying home when possible;
• Wearing a mask;
• Practicing social distancing;
• Avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people; and
• Washing or sanitizing their hands often.

Residents are urged to get tested if they are experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, or believe they may have come in contact with someone infected with COVID-19. For testing locations and other COVID-19-related information, go to www.dekalbcountyga.gov/coronavirus.

To sign up for CodeRED, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/dema/codered.