Gov. Kemp Convenes COVID-19 Task Force
“Georgia does not have any confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but we remain very vigilant,” Gov. Brian Kemp said at a Friday press conference.
John Amis / Associated Press
Gov. Brian Kemp will convene the first meeting of Georgia’s COVID-19 task force Friday, just hours after announcing the creation of the group charged with responding to the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
“Georgia does not have any confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but we remain very vigilant,” Kemp said at a Friday press conference.
“We’re asking everyone to remain calm and to follow guidance that we’re getting from federal and that you’ll be getting from state officials as well.”
The group includes doctors as well and state and local officials. They’ll determine just how ready Georgia is for a possible COVID-19 outbreak and discuss plans for preventing the spread of the disease.
For now, the state is basing its response on a plan developed to fight pandemic influenza, according to Dr. Kathleen Toomey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, who will lead the task force.
“We have no way of knowing when or if we will have COVID-19 cases,” Toomey said. “We have a robust plan in place … and we’re currently working with other state agencies and statewide partners to ensure we have all the systems in place to respond.”
Toomey says her agency is in close contact with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has set up a 24-hour phone line to take calls from local health care providers who have questions about COVID-19.
Georgia, however, still does not have a way to test for the disease on its own. Toomey says earlier problems with CDC-supplied test kits have yet to be resolved.
As a result, the state is still relying on the CDC to process its tests, which Toomey says is taking four to five days. She hopes Georgia will be able to handle testing on its own within two weeks.
In the meantime, Toomey advises Georgians to follow a few basic precautions to keep themselves healthy: washing their hands, coughing and sneezing into their elbows, staying home from work if they’re sick, getting a flu shot.
Toomey acknowledges getting immunized against influenza won’t keep people from developing COVID-19, but she says it will reduce the risk they end up in the hospital if they do catch the flu.
“Part of our preparations for coronavirus response is to ensure that we have surge capacity in hospitals,” she said.
Top Stories
