Georgia Board of Funeral Service - CLICK HERE 

COVID-19 INFORMATION

On January 29, 2021 Governor Kemp signed an Executive Order, which will terminate on February 15, 2021 at 11:59pm, requiring that all businesses, residents, and visitors of the State of Georgia practice social distancing and refrain from gathering in groups of fifty (50) persons or more unless they are able to maintain a distance of six (6) feet or more between each other, and encouraging all residents and visitors to wear face coverings while outside their homes or place of residence. The Board encourages licensees to continue to support one another, be mindful of potential exposure, and use best practices to prevent infection and help slow the spread of COVID-19.  

Click HERE for up to date information and guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health, including Funeral and Mortuary Science Guidance, which can be found HERE.

Click HERE for up to date information and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including information for Funeral Home Workers, which can be found HERE, and Funeral Guidance for Individuals and Families, which can be found HERE.

To report issues of noncompliance with any of the executive orders you should call the state's hotline at 844-442-2681. The hotline can be used for asking about symptoms related to COVID-19, finding out if someone should get tested, reporting possible scams related to COVID-19, and alerting the state about non-compliant businesses. 

VACCINES

The Board has been in communication with the Georgia Department of Public Health and have confirmed that funeral service staff will be in group 1B for COVID vaccine distribution, along with other non-healthcare essential workers. DPH will be releasing more information as they get closer to distributing to group 1B, and once vaccines are available to group 1B eligible individuals will be able to schedule an appointment with the vaccination site directly, a list of which is regularly updated and available through DPH’s website. Vaccine supply is very limited and virtually all sites are administering vaccines by appointment only. For questions about COVID-19 and the vaccine only (not for scheduling appointments for vaccination) you can contact (888) 357-0169. 

IMPACT ON TESTING

Pearson VUE resumed full testing on May 1, 2020, though there is limited test center capacity for scheduling to enforce social distancing. For the most up-to-date ICFSEB COVID-19 information click HERE, and for updates from Pearson VUE click HERE.

PSI test centers began reopening on May 1, 2020. Test sites are reopened where city, county, and state jurisdictions will allow, however, as the safety of candidates and PSI’s employees remain a top priority, sites will only be open for scheduling at 50% of their capacity in order to enforce social distancing procedures. PSI has also enacted a number of new policies surrounding enhanced sanitation procedures, allowable personal protective equipment for candidates, and flexible rescheduling. PSI is now mandating that ALL candidates wear face masks at all times while in the test center. If a candidate fails to bring and wear a face mask during the examination, they will be requested to leave the test site. An outline of the steps being taken to ensure candidate and employee safety can be found HERE. It is important to note that due to the backlog of candidates and testing centers operating at reduced capacity, scheduling availability may not be immediate. Situations are arising where candidates need to be rescheduled to ensure procedures are adhered to. When a cancellation must happen, PSI will begin rescheduling candidate appointments by most recently scheduled, prioritizing candidates that have held their appointments the longest. Please check your email and voicemails routinely to review any pertinent exam appointment communication from PSI and avoid unnecessary travel. For questions, PSI can be best reached at 855-744-0314.

Board Office Operations Update 

In response to Governor Kemp’s recommendation that state employees work remotely, the Professional Licensing Boards Division has implemented telework options for its staff. Effective March 16th, the Professional Licensing Boards Division will be closed to visitors. Constituents are encouraged to utilize web resources for online transactions and to answer frequently asked questions. For additional information you may contact the call center at 404-424-9966. Staff will be available to provide guidance by email. 

Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) - CLICK HERE

COVID-19 Information and Guidance

• CLICK HERE - COVID-19 Funeral and Mortuary Science Guidance   

• CLICK HERE - Georgia Department of Public Health COVID-19 Daily Status Report

• CLICK HERE - Administrative Orders for Public Health Control Measures
  

COVID-19 Testing in Georgia

• What Does My Test Mean?
  Even with a negative test result, continue to practice standard safety protocol.
  CLICK HERE - Interpreting Your Results

• How Does COVID-19 Testing Work?
  There are two different types of tests for COVID-19: viral tests and antibody tests.
  CLICK HERE - COVID-19 Testing in Georgia

• COVID-19 International Travel Letter
  CLICK HERE

• After You Are Tested
  You should isolate yourself while you wait for test results. If you have a sample taken at one of these locations, it is essential to remain at home and away from other family members as much as possible to prevent the possible spread of disease.

If You're Sick or Exposed to COVID-19

• Identify Your Contacts
  Each confirmed case of COVID-19 will work with trained DPH staff to identify everyone they've been in contact with to prevent additional spread of the disease.
  CLICK HERE - Contact Tracing to Stop the Spread of COVID-19

• Isolate if Sick
  If you have tested positive for COVID-19 infection, you must follow home isolation protocol.
  CLICK HERE - Isolation Guidance

• Quarantine if Exposed
  If you were exposed to someone with COVID-19, monitor your health for 14 days from your last possible exposure and quarantine at home.
  CLICK HERE - Quarantine Guidance (CLICK HERE for a pdf)
  

PPE NEEDS - Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) - District Health Office Directory - 

It is important to contact your county’s office directly to inquire about their capabilities to issue death certificate and local mandates or orders which may affect your business. 

In addition, the Georgia Emergency Management Agency, with the assistance of the Georgia Department of Public Health, continues to request PPE supplies through the Federal system. To notify officials of your PPE needs. 

• Contact your local health department.  Note, some areas may refer you to another contact and it is important to follow their instructions.     
• Following this process is important as it ensures a central line of communication to accurately track the need counts for Georgia and ensures accurate requests to the Federal level. 
• Remember, resources will be allocated to the 'hot spots' throughout the country and state.

Request for Status of Morgue Bed Availability

Facilities with morgues have been asked by the Department of Public Health (PDH) to update their morgue bed availability status daily by visiting the Morgue Availability Reporting Tool- for emergency use HERE. This is the morgue bed availability reporting tool used to report daily availability, normal and surge capacities, location and points of contact which can be completed on a phone, laptop or desktop computer. The information collected may be used by emergency managers to help support each other during these turbulent times.

Georgia State Office of Vital Records - CLICK HERE

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT CONCERNING COVID-19

Greetings from the State Office of Vital Records, 

We understand that many other offices have closed, or limited their functions to essential services due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). 

For Vital Records, we would consider the top priority essential services to be 1) Issuing disposition permits, and 2) registering death records. We believe that these functions can largely be accomplished through e-mail, fax, or online through GAVERS. 

A secondary priority would be issuing certified copies of birth and death records. If a county has access to their facility in order to print records, we ask that they consider issuing certificate orders by mail. That will limit the visitors to the building, but still allow customers to receive their certificates. 

Lastly, good communication will be crucial during this time. We ask that county registrars communicate any changes in local operations to stakeholders like funeral directors, coroners, and birth hospitals. Please be alert for any additional communications from Georgia DPH and the State Office of Vital Records. We will share more information as it becomes available. The response to COVID-19 is changing rapidly, and we appreciate everyone’s cooperation. 

Sincerely, 
Chris Harrison

Guidance for Certifying COVID-19 Deaths

AGEG has received questions regarding the Guidance for Certifying COVID-19 Deaths. We have been in communication with Chris Harrison, MPH, Georgia State Registrar, Deputy Director.  Please review the additional information from Mr. Harrison below. 

Generally speaking COVID-19 should not be on line A. If COVID-19 is the underlying cause of death it would be listed on the lowest line used of lines A-D. In the attached guidance document that we sent there was screenshot that showed COVID-19 listed on line B (it doesn’t seem to have the screenshot in the scan you sent). None of the guidance we have sent or shared from the CDC has COVID-19 on the first line.

The way to think of the cause of death lines is:

The patient died of Line A, which was cause by Line B, which was caused by Line C, which was caused by Line D.

A sequence for a COVID-19 death could be something like:

acute respiratory failure (line A), which was caused by pneumonia (line B), which was caused by COVID-19 (line C).

If COVID-19 were listed on the first line, it would mean the COVID-19 was caused by acute respiratory failure, which doesn’t make sense and wouldn’t be accurate.

• The first line (A) should contain the immediate cause of death. That is, whatever condition the patient was experiencing in the minutes or hours prior to death. For example, “Acute respiratory failure” could be an immediate cause of death, with a duration of “minutes”
• Listed below this could be intermediate conditions (if applicable), like “bilateral pneumonia” or “sepsis” with an appropriate duration like “days” or “weeks”
• On the lowest line used would be the condition that cause the entire chain of events above. This is where the COVID-19 should go.
• Chronic conditions that might be important to consider because the put the patient at risk (asthma, hypertension, diabetes, etc.) should be listed in Part II as significant conditions, because they cannot cause COVID-19 infection (only the pandemic strain of the virus does that).

Chris Harrison, MPH 
State Registrar 
Deputy Director, Data Integrity & Analytics 
State Office of Vital Records 
Georgia Department of Public Health

CLICK HERE to utilize the links included in the guidance and for a printable version. 

Governor Brian P. Kemp - CLICK HERE

Renewing the Public Health State of Emergency in response to COVID-19

Providing additional guidance for Empowering a Healthy Georgia in response to COVID-19

It is ordered that unless otherwise noted, the provisions contained in the Order shall be effective from March 1, 2021, at 12:00 AM until March 15, 2021, at 11:59 PM, unless it is renewed by the Governor.

Funeral Service Professionals should note the following items from this Executive Order 

• Practice Social Distancing as defined herein and refrain from Gathering as defined herein
• Are strongly encouraged to wear face coverings as practicable while outside their homes or place of residence, except when eating, drinking or exercising outdoors.
• Practice sanitation in accordance with the guidelines published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• No business, establishment, corporation, non-profit corporation, organization, or county or municipal government shall allow Gatherings of persons. This provision shall not apply to cohabitating persons, family units, or roommates residing together in private homes, whether inside or outside of their homes or place of residence. This provision shall also not apply to entities defined as “Critical Infrastructure.”

II. Definitions

• (Item 6)  “Gathering” shall mean more than fifty (50) persons physically present at a Single Location if, to be present, persons are required to stand or be seated within six (6) feet of any other person. Therefore, groups of more than fifty (50) people are permitted if their grouping is transitory or incidental, or if their grouping is the result of being spread across more than one Single Location. 
• (Item 9)  "Local Option Face Covering Requirement" shall mean a requirement imposed by a municipal, county, or other government entity that individual wear face masks or face covering when not able to maintain Social Distancing from non-cohabitating person that is permitted by the terms of this Executive Order.
• (Item 14)  "Post-Exposure Quarantine Protocol" shall mean that in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia Department of Public Health guidelines, any person who has had close contact (sic (6) feet or closer for a cumulative total of fifteen (15) minutes or more with a person that has or is suspected to have COVID-19 within the past fourteen (14) days is required to either: 
• Quarantine at their home or place of residence for fourteen (14) days form the date of most recent exposure; 
• Quarantine at their home or place of residence for at least ten (10) days from the date of most recent exposure, then practice extreme diligence in monitoring for Symptoms of COVID-19, wearing a face covering, and social distancing until fourteen (14) days have passed since the date of most recent exposure; or 
• Quarantine at their home or place of residence for at least seven (7) days from the date of most recent exposure if a COVID-19 test was taken no earlier than day five (5) of quarantine and a negative result is received, then practice extreme diligence in monitoring for Symptoms of COVID-19, wearing a face covering, and social distancing until fourteen (14) days have passed since the date of most recent exposure. 
• If If at any time during the Post-Exposure Quarantine Protocol time period a person experiences Symptoms of COVID-19, that person shall seek a COVID-19 test, isolate until test results are received, and proceed in accordance with the test results and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Georgia Department of Public Health guidelines. 
• (Item 16)  "Shelter in Place" shall mean a person is required to remain in their home or place of residence and take every possible precaution to limit social interaction to prevent the spread or infection of COVID-19 to themselves or any other person, subject to the provisions and exceptions of this order. 
• (Items 17)  “Single Location” shall mean a space where all persons gathered cannot maintain at least six (6) feet of distance between themselves and any other person. 
• (item 18)  “Social Distancing” shall mean keeping space between yourself and other people outside of your home or place of residence. Persons practicing Social Distancing should stay at least six (6) feet from other people, avoid assembling in groups, avoid crowded places, and avoid large crowds. This provision shall not apply to cohabitating persons, family units, or roommates residing together in private homes, whether inside or outside of their homes or place of residence. 
• (Item 19) "Symptoms of COVID-19" shall mean symptoms identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as symptoms of COVID-19 and shall include at least the following: fever or chills; cough; shortness of breath or difficulty breathing; fatigue; muscle of body aches; headache; new loss of taste or smell; sore throat; congestion or runny nose; nausea or vomiting; and diarrhea. 
• (Item 20)  "Threshold Requirement" shall mean the prevalence in a county of confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the previous fourteen (14) days is equal to or greater than one hundred (100) cases per one hundred thousand (100,000) people according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.  For more information review pages 42-44.

ATTENTION: Critical Infrastructure that continue in-person operation during the effective dates of this Order shall implement measures to mitigate the exposure and spread of COVID-19.  Such measures may include, but shall not be limited to the items included in Section V. Industry, Commerce, Organizations & Non-Profits, which shall be implemented to the maximum extent practicable.

Mortuary services are a Critical Infrastructure as determined by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). These businesses must continue to operate with social distancing and sanitation rules to keep customers and employees safe. Mortuary service providers, such as: 

• Workers performing mortuary funeral, cremation, burial, cemetery, and related services, including funeral homes, crematoriums, cemetery workers, and coffin makers.
• Workers who coordinate with other organizations to ensure the proper recovery, handling, identification, transportation, tracking, storage, and disposal of human remains and personal effects; certify cause of death; and facilitate access to mental and behavioral health services to the family members, responders, and survivors of an incident.

Remember to review guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well.

Additional Resources: 

Georgia Department of Economic Development: COVID-19 Updates and Information, including Critical Infrastructure details: click HERE

Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Identifying Critical Infrastructure During COVID-19: click HERE

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): click HERE

Reporting a Possible Violation of Governor Kemp’s Executive Orders 

If you are reporting a possible violation of Governor Kemp’s Executive Orders please contact:

• Your local Sheriff’s Office
• Department of Natural Resources State Communications Center
• Department of Public Safety Troop Communications Center closest to you.

For all non-urgent requests, please continue to contact Constituent Services through their online form found HERE

COVID-19 Hotline: (844) 442-2681

The hotline can be used for asking about symptoms related to COVID-19, finding out if someone should get tested, reporting possible scams related to COVID-19, and alerting the state about non-compliant businesses.