Browse Emergency Preparedness Stories - Page 2

Each spring, thousands of K-12 students attend environmental education camps at Georgia 4-H facilities across the state. They hold snakes, hike through creeks and marshes, visit historic sites and enjoy nature; all with a goal of learning about the environment. Since the COVID-19 outbreak has public schools closed, school buses parked and Georgians sheltered in place, the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education Program is now being offered virtually.

While there is no evidence that the COVID-19 virus is a food safety concern, it is a worker health concern as it spreads via close person-to-person contact or by contact with contaminated surfaces.

Most vegetable crops in Georgia — such as bell pepper, specialty peppers, tomato, eggplant, cucumber, yellow squash, and zucchini — are currently being planted into early April. These crops should be harvested in May and June; however, in light of the current coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, Georgia growers, who rely on seasonal workers, need to plan ahead to be prepared for the harvest.

More than 1,500 fourth, fifth and sixth graders will now have the opportunity to participate in Georgia 4-H’s first Virtual Cloverleaf Project Achievement contest. Last year, more than 3,700 youth participated in Cloverleaf Project Achievement contests. Due to recent developments, five competitions around the state will now take place in an online format. While 13 in-person competitions were originally scheduled, area contestants in Bacon, Douglas, Emanuel, Houston and Jackson counties will now have the opportunity to participate virtually.

As messages about COVID-19 come in from all angles, consumers need clear, direct information on how to keep themselves and their families safe from potential infection. University of Georgia food scientists offer tips on staying healthy and protecting your family.

Buying takeout food is a good choice to lower risks of exposure to COVID-19 because it reduces the number of touchpoints relative to eating in a restaurant, said Elizabeth Andress, a UGA Extension food safety specialist in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.

An investors’ recent pessimism in reaction to coronavirus has induced a business slowdown, the pandemic has cast a shadow on the cotton market as well. May cotton futures for old crops closed at 54.93 cents per pound, and new crop December futures closed at 56.10 cents per pound on March 19.

News of the coronavirus has many people feeling uneasy and helpless. Building a supply of emergency food and water is a task University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts say will help Georgians prepare for any kind of emergency, be it a medical quarantine, a snowstorm or a major power outage.

Despite fears of rising sea levels and violent storms, many people still dream of living on the water. It’s an idyllic life — until it isn’t.

Hurricane Dorian may bring power outages, downed trees, heavy rain and possibly brief tornadoes to Georgia this weekend and well into next week. With the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Michael just over a month away, UGA's Pam Knox urges southwest Georgians to not let their guard down.