For April 8 updates click here
Below is an archive
==
At 11Alive News, our coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit the 11Alive coronavirus page for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about Georgia specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world here. Have a question? Text it to us at 404-885-7600.
State and federal officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are continually monitoring the spread of the virus. They are also working hand-in-hand with the World Health Organization to track the spread around the world and to stop it.
We will continue to track the most important coronavirus elements relating to Georgia on this page. Refresh often for new information.
Key Facts:
- 348 deaths from the novel coronavirus in Georgia
- 9,156 confirmed cases across the state
- Statewide shelter-in-place order in effect until April 13
- Gov. Kemp has ordered all public schools in the state to close through the end of the school year
- Public Health Emergency remains in effect
Tuesday, April 7
Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpasses 9,100
The Georgia Department of Health says the number of COVID-19 cases in Georgia is ow 9,156. A total of 348 people have now died from the virus, with another 1,899 hospitalized.
Fulton County is now reporting more than 1,100 cases and has 39 deaths from the virus. Dougherty County has also suffered significantly - it is getting closer to 1,000 cases within the county, with 56 people killed as a result. DeKalb has the third highest number of cases, with 673 being reported with 11 deaths.
As of the 7 p.m. update on Tuesday, there were only four Georgia counties remaining that had not reported a coronavirus case.
According to the state data, roughly 60 percent of all the confirmed cases in the state were patients between the ages of 18 and 59. Just over 35 percent of patients were older than 60 years old.
Here is the county-by-county breakdown:
County - Cases - Deaths
Fulton 1185 39
Dougherty 973 56
Dekalb 673 11
Cobb 566 29
Gwinnett 540 13
Clayton 278 10
Hall 215 0
Henry 208 3
Lee 204 15
Bartow 191 12
Carroll 183 4
Sumter 162 6
Cherokee 147 6
Chatham 120 4
Douglas 117 5
Mitchell 100 11
Forsyth 99 1
Early 96 5
Floyd 92 3
Terrell 92 9
Rockdale 86 2
Houston 85 6
Randolph 83 4
Fayette 81 4
Coweta 80 2
Clarke 78 9
Richmond 75 3
Colquitt 70 5
Newton 67 3
Paulding 62 1
Worth 60 3
Muscogee 54 1
Spalding 54 4
Troup 47 3
Bibb 46 1
Columbia 46 0
Crisp 46 0
Lowndes 45 1
Tift 45 1
Barrow 42 3
Thomas 42 2
Coffee 41 2
Ware 37 3
Oconee 33 1
Pierce 32 1
Calhoun 31 1
Glynn 30 0
Upson 29 0
Baldwin 27 1
Dooly 27 1
Bryan 26 2
Gordon 25 3
Walton 25 2
Laurens 24 0
Greene 23 1
Jackson 23 0
Decatur 21 0
Whitfield 21 2
Dawson 20 1
Meriwether 20 0
Peach 20 2
Polk 20 0
Turner 19 0
Butts 18 0
Effingham 18 1
Camden 17 0
Haralson 17 0
Mcduffie 16 2
Burke 15 0
Lamar 15 0
Liberty 13 0
Monroe 13 1
Seminole 13 0
Stephens 13 0
Washington 13 0
Clay 12 1
Harris 12 0
Bacon 11 0
Miller 11 0
Murray 11 0
Baker 10 2
Bulloch 10 0
Fannin 10 0
Macon 10 0
Morgan 10 0
Pickens 10 2
Pike 10 0
Schley 10 1
White 10 0
Irwin 9 0
Lumpkin 9 0
Madison 9 1
Dodge 8 0
Pulaski 8 0
Talbot 8 1
Toombs 8 1
Catoosa 7 0
Habersham 7 0
Jenkins 7 0
Jones 7 0
Appling 6 0
Ben Hill 6 0
Brooks 6 0
Grady 6 0
Jasper 6 0
Johnson 6 0
Lincoln 6 0
Warren 6 0
Brantley 5 1
Lanier 5 0
Putnam 5 0
Rabun 5 0
Wilkes 5 0
Atkinson 4 0
Banks 4 0
Berrien 4 0
Candler 4 0
Chattooga 4 1
Cook 4 0
Jefferson 4 0
Marion 4 0
Quitman 4 0
Screven 4 0
Stewart 4 0
Taylor 4 1
Telfair 4 0
Union 4 0
Walker 4 0
Webster 4 0
Charlton 3 0
Clinch 3 0
Emanuel 3 0
Franklin 3 0
Gilmer 3 0
Hart 3 0
Heard 3 1
Mcintosh 3 0
Tattnall 3 0
Wayne 3 0
Wilkinson 3 0
Chattahoochee 2 0
Elbert 2 0
Oglethorpe 2 1
Towns 2 0
Twiggs 2 0
Wilcox 2 0
Bleckley 1 0
Crawford 1 0
Dade 1 1
Echols 1 0
Hancock 1 0
Jeff Davis 1 0
Long 1 0
Treutlen 1 0
Wheeler 1 0
Unknown 441 6
*Based on patient county of residence when known
Mobile clinic to offer drive-thru testing across 10-county area
The Northeast Health District will begin using a mobile clinic to provide COVID-19 testing throughout a 10-county area, they said. The first began today in Barrow County.
The mobile clinic will provide drive-thru testing by referral only.
“We want to make sure as many people as possible have access to testing, and transportation can sometimes be a barrier,” explained Whitney Howell, Clinical and Nursing Director for the Northeast Health District. “A mobile unit will allow us to bring testing to where it’s needed most and allow early identification of cases that might otherwise have gone undetected. Finding these cases before an outbreak occurs protects individuals and the community.”
The Clarke County site will continue to be available Monday through Friday.
Rep. Doug Collins says he's acquired hydroxychloroquine for Georgia
Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins says he has acquired several thousands of doses of a controversial drug being touted by the president as a possible treatment option for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
Collins tweeted on Tuesday night that he worker with Amneal Pharmaceuticals to secure 200,000 doses of hydroxychloroquine for the Georgia Department of Public Health.
President Trump has repeatedly called for doctors to use the Malaria treatment drug with COVID-19 patients during his daily White House briefings. Although there has been anecdotal evidence from small clinical trials that the drug has been used successfully, medical professionals have warned against widely using the drug because of its potentially life-threatening side effects for some patients.
Dept. of Public Health releases cases and deaths by demographic
On Tuesday, at the request of 11Alive, the Department of Public Health provided the latest COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths by demographic.
According to the state, 104 black Georgians have died, compared to 88 whites, and 7 listed as other. In addition, the state said there were 108 victims of unknown race. The DPH said that's as a result of that information not being recorded when completing the forms. The department is going back in an attempt to get more accurate information.
Also, more men (188) have died than women (128) in the state, they said.
University of Georgia creates medical face shields
The University of Georgia has delivered a first batch of medical face shields produced on campus to local medical professionals facing a shortage of protective equipment because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they said on Tuesday.
They said they plan to deliver 200 face shields each to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital by the end of the day Friday. They are being produced through a collaboration between the UGA College of Engineering, UGA Libraries, and the Instrument Design and Fabrication Shop, a unit of UGA’s Office of Research.
“We’re pleased to be able to help the community in this time of crisis,” said Donald Leo, dean of the College of Engineering. “Our staff and students have really taken the urgency of the situation to heart and they’ve stepped forward to support our community and its medical professionals.”
UGA can produce approximately 130 face shields a day until it runs out of materials.
Arthur Blank, Mercedes-Benz Stadium extend relief efforts for game day staff with $1M fund
Arthur Blank and Mercedes-Benz Stadium have established a $1 million emergency relief fund for "core MBS Event-Day Associates," including associates for concessions partner, Levy Restaurants and venue security partner, SAFE Management to provide assistance with hardship incurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, they announced on Tuesday.
“This is a moment to come together to take care of each other, uplift those on the front lines, provide for our community, and show up for our associates,” says Steve Cannon, CEO, AMB Sports + Entertainment. “Giving back to others and putting people first are priorities for our organization and now, more than ever is the time to do everything we can to help those in need while taking care of our team.”
In March, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation announced nearly $5.4 million in funding for immediate and long-term recovery assistance to organizations providing critical support throughout Georgia and Montana in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Georgia colleges, universities to continue online classes through summer semesters
The University System of Georgia (USG) announced that classes will continue online for May and through the summer semesters.
USG institutions, they say, are tentatively planning to return to normal on-campus operations for the fall semester should guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health allow it.
USG institutions overall have remained open, with only minimal staff physically on-site to ensure continuity of certain services.
Mayor places new restrictions on Atlanta BeltLine
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms implemented new restrictions for the Atlanta BeltLine after crowds have continued to pack the trail.
The restrictions come after a petition was created to shut down the BeltLine. Many felt that with more than 300 parks in the city, the need for the BeltLine was not necessary and that residents were gathering and not exercising.
The new restrictions are as follows:
Only the elderly and those most vulnerable are to use the BeltLine from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m.
From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., it will be open for exercise use only.
From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., it will be open for transportation use (going to the store, etc.). This includes the option for bicycles and scooters.
Georgia Power extends suspension of disconnects
Georgia Power’s suspension of disconnections is being extended following a vote by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). The company originally announced it would suspend disconnects in mid-March for at least 30 days to assist customers through this challenging time.
Today’s vote extends the decision beyond the original timeframe, assuring customers that the suspension of disconnects will remain in place as the pandemic continues to impact customers in the state.
Confirmed cases in Georgia climb to 8,818 with 329 deaths
The Georgia Department of Health announced new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. As of Noon, there are 8,818 confirmed cases of the virus and 329 deaths reported. This is up from the 7,558 confirmed cases and 294 deaths that they announced on Monday evening.
Of the 8,818 confirmed cases, 1,124 are in Fulton, 939 are in Dougherty, 645 are in DeKalb, 550 are in Cobb and 525 are in Gwinnett. In all, there are cases reported in 155 counties (489 cases are listed as unknown counties). For a breakdown by county, view the 11Alive interactive map.
They said 1,774 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Of the confirmed cases, 1 percent are between the ages of 0-17, while 59 percent are 18-59 years old, 36 percent are over 60 and 4 percent are unknown. 53 percent are female, and 45 percent are male.
In total, 30,993 tests were conducted at commercial labs, reporting 8,337 positive cases. At the Department of Public Health Laboratory, 2,720 tests were conducted with 481 positive results.
COUNTY - CASES - DEATHS
Fulton 1,124 36
Dougherty 939 52
Dekalb 645 11
Cobb 550 29
Gwinnett 525 10
Clayton 266 10
Hall 196 0
Lee 195 15
Henry 194 3
Bartow 187 11
Carroll 177 4
Sumter 147 6
Cherokee 144 5
Chatham 117 4
Douglas 111 5
Forsyth 94 1
Early 92 5
Mitchell 90 10
Floyd 89 3
Terrell 87 9
Rockdale 85 2
Randolph 81 4
Coweta 79 2
Fayette 79 4
Houston 79 6
Clarke 77 9
Richmond 74 3
Colquitt 69 5
Newton 65 2
Paulding 60 1
Worth 55 3
Muscogee 53 1
Spalding 50 4
Columbia 46 0
Crisp 46 0
Troup 46 3
Lowndes 44 1
Tift 43 1
Bibb 42 1
Barrow 40 3
Coffee 38 2
Thomas 37 0
Ware 37 3
Oconee 32 0
Glynn 29 0
Calhoun 28 1
Dooly 28 1
Pierce 28 1
Upson 28 0
Baldwin 26 1
Bryan 26 2
Gordon 25 3
Walton 24 2
Laurens 22 0
Greene 21 1
Jackson 21 0
Whitfield 21 1
Dawson 20 1
Polk 20 0
Butts 17 0
Decatur 17 0
Effingham 17 1
Meriwether 17 0
Camden 16 0
Peach 16 2
Turner 16 0
Haralson 15 0
Lamar 15 0
Burke 14 0
Mcduffie 13 2
Monroe 13 1
Harris 12 0
Liberty 12 0
Seminole 12 0
Miller 11 0
Murray 11 0
Stephens 11 0
Washington 11 0
Bacon 10 0
Bulloch 10 0
Clay 10 1
Fannin 10 0
Pickens 10 2
Pike 10 0
Schley 10 1
Baker 9 1
Irwin 9 0
Lumpkin 9 0
Madison 9 1
White 9 0
Dodge 8 0
Macon 8 0
Morgan 8 0
Pulaski 8 0
Toombs 8 1
Catoosa 7 0
Jenkins 7 0
Jones 7 0
Appling 6 0
Ben Hill 6 0
Brooks 6 0
Habersham 6 0
Jasper 6 0
Johnson 6 0
Talbot 6 0
Warren 6 0
Grady 5 0
Lanier 5 0
Lincoln 5 0
Putnam 5 0
Rabun 5 0
Taylor 5 1
Wilkes 5 0
Atkinson 4 0
Berrien 4 0
Candler 4 0
Chattooga 4 1
Jefferson 4 0
Telfair 4 0
Walker 4 0
Webster 4 0
Banks 3 0
Brantley 3 1
Charlton 3 0
Clinch 3 0
Cook 3 0
Emanuel 3 0
Franklin 3 0
Gilmer 3 0
Hart 3 0
Heard 3 1
Marion 3 0
Mcintosh 3 0
Quitman 3 0
Screven 3 0
Stewart 3 0
Tattnall 3 0
Union 3 0
Wayne 3 0
Wilkinson 3 0
Chattahoochee 2 0
Crawford 2 0
Elbert 2 0
Oglethorpe 2 1
Towns 2 0
Twiggs 2 0
Wilcox 2 0
Bleckley 1 0
Dade 1 1
Echols 1 0
Hancock 1 0
Jeff Davis 1 0
Long 1 0
Treutlen 1 0
Wheeler 1 0
Unknown 489 7
Gwinnett Schools transportation staff members test positive
Gwinnett County Public Schools officials tell 11Alive News that four transportation staff members have tested positive for COVID-19.
They did not specify the roles these staff members play in the department, if they are bus drivers or were involved in meal delivery.
In a statement, they said: "Our process, once we are alerted to a case, is to have our county nurse work with the individual and the Health Department to identify others with whom they have been in contact. Those contacts are alerted and they are asked to self-isolate as recommended by the Health Department and CDC."
Kroger to limit number of customers in store
Kroger announced in a release it was now limiting the number of customers in a store at a time to 50% of building code capacity.
The grocery chain also said it was working to obtain masks for store employees. "Associates may also wear their own mask, 'official face masks' or they may wear homemade cloth masks per the CDC and White House guidance," the release said.
Kroger says its Atlanta division, which includes Georgia, eastern Alabama and South Carolina, has hired more than 3,000 people, including 500 to accommodate its free grocery pick-up service that is now available nationwide.
Things to know this morning
- DeKalb parks serving snacks during spring break for children
- Rockdale inmate tests positive
- The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Atlanta Jewish Foundation announced that the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund has received more than $2.7 million just over two weeks.
- Piedmont looks to open new tower months ahead of schedule to accommodate COVID-19 patients
- A Dawson County Sheriff's deputy has tested positive for COVID-19, the agency said on Facebook.
- CVS will be operating drive-thru rapid COVID-19 testing at a site on Georgia Tech's campus. At full capacity, the site will be able to conduct up to 1,000 tests per day.
- Georgia's governor has named one of the daughters of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to help lead a new outreach committee as the state copes with the coronavirus.
- Georgia Renaissance Festival moves from spring to fall
LATEST CORONAVIRUS HEADLINES: