Coronavirus Update: Georgia’s Confirmed Death Toll Up To 3

“The entire Phoebe Family is saddened to learn of the first COVID-19 deaths in our area … ,” said Dr. Steven Kitchens, the Albany hospital’s chief medical officer. “Unfortunately, more deaths are likely to occur, and we will certainly see more positive cases as we receive more test results.”

For most people, the coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia. The vast majority of people recover.

Georgia has 197 cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported Wednesday. It’s latest numbers did not include the two new deaths. State officials reported Georgia’s first death from the virus last week.

Dougherty County officials said Tuesday they have evidence some infections are linked to two recent funerals. Dougherty County in southwest Georgia has reported seven confirmed infections, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s latest numbers Wednesday.

Christopher Cohilas, chairman of the Dougherty County Commission, urged residents to call their doctor or a local COVID-19 hotline if they were exposed to others showing symptoms during a pair of funerals tied to two churches and one funeral home.

“We know from speaking with these people, some of the folks who were at these funerals were infected with the virus,” Cohilas. He did not specify how many infections had been linked to the funerals.

A large outdoor music festival in Atlanta has been postponed until fall, joining Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, the Masters golf tournament and other large-scale events sidelined by concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers of the Shaky Knees Festival on Wednesday said the event featuring headliners the Black Keys, the Strokes and Smashing Pumpkins is now set for Oct. 16 to 18.

State prison officials said in a news release Wednesday that they’d been notified that an employee at one of the state’s 34 prisons had tested positive for the virus. They declined to release any additional information, citing security and privacy restrictions, but said the person last reported to work Thursday.

The Department of Corrections said there were no known cases of the virus among the state’s prisoners.

Gov. Brian Kemp said Tuesday there’s a concern a sharp increase in infections could fill Georgia hospitals to capacity and leave them with supply shortages. He said the state is awaiting orders of large quantities of protective gear — including 10,000 gloves and 100,000 face masks — to equip medical professionals and first responders.

Cobb County To Open Drive-Through Testing Site

Officials are finalizing plans to open a drive-through facility at Jim R. Miller Park to test only individuals at the highest risk for coronavirus.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health announced on Tuesday they are working with federal, state and local officials to set up rapid testing to the community.

The facility will only be available to individuals who, “if they had the virus, would dramatically impact many individuals in the entire community (e.g., healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, nursing home residents).”

Officials stressed that COVID-19 testing will not be available to the general public at this time. They instructed anyone that is experiencing symptoms or has come in contact with someone who tested positive to isolate at home.

According to Cobb County Police, testing at the facility will begin today and is “by invite only, with confirmation from a medical professional.”

*COVID-19 Update*
Testing begins March 18th at Jim Miller Park. This testing is limited to individuals already identified by medical professionals only, and part of the park will be closed to the public. Updates to follow. @wsbtv @FOX5Atlanta @11AliveNews @cbs46 @ajc @mdjonline pic.twitter.com/s58CP7a6s4

— Cobb County Police (@cobbpolice1) March 17, 2020

Feds Commission Site In Marietta For Quarantine

Marietta officials say a former hotel in the city has been commissioned by the federal government as a quarantine site for those who test positive for COVID-19.

The city manager told council members in an email that the former Radisson Hotel on the Franklin Gateway corridor will be used for patients who have tested positive for the virus, but don’t need to be hospitalized.

The email said people may be transferred to the building from Dobbins Air Reserve Base, another Marietta quarantine site for passengers on the cruise ship where nearly two dozen people had confirmed COVID-19.

Meanwhile, quarantine site Hard Labor Creek State Park, about 50 miles east of Atlanta, is housing another person who state officials say has tested positive for the virus and is in stable condition.

Hospices Take Precautions

As nursing homes are restricting visitors due to the coronavirus, hospice care providers want to make sure they have access.

Hospice care can involve a team of outside social workers, clergy and nurses. As care facilities try to guard against coronavirus and implement policies to block entry for visitors, hospice providers want to be sure they can still care for their patients.

Tony Kudner, with Seasons Hospice which operates in 19 states including Georgia, says he understands nursing homes are guarded.

“People are airing on the side of caution, which makes sense, but it’s posing a bit of a barrier to hospices,” he said.

Kudner said his hospice personnel is taking all medical precautions, and most nursing homes do grant exceptions for their patients

Some Malls Are Closing

Some metro Atlanta malls are closing in the wake of the coronavirus.

Simon Malls says it’s closing all of its retail properties. In Georgia that includes Lenox, The Mall of Georgia, Phipps and Town Center Cobb.

In a statement Wednesday, CEO David Simon said, “The health and safety of our shoppers, retailers and employees is of paramount importance, and we are taking this step to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our communities”.

Kroger Needs Help Stocking Shelves

Kroger is hiring more workers to keep up with stocking shelves and increases in demand because of the coronavirus.

The move reflects grocery stores across the U.S. shifting hours and picking up more part-time or overnight workers in response to hoarding and panic buying.

Amazon also said it will hire 100,000 new workers to support people social distancing and relying on deliveries.

Amazon executive Dave Clark wrote in a blog post this week that people who have lost income in areas like travel and restaurant jobs should apply, and are welcome to work until things return to normal.

Text Service Directs Those In Need To Nearest Food Pantries

The Atlanta Community Food Bank is launching a text service, so those in need can find their nearest food pantries.

The Food Bank supplies food to nonprofits in 29 metro Atlanta and North Georgia counties. The organization says based on experiences during other disasters , like during Hurricane Katrina and the Great Recession, people here are vulnerable to large-scale travel and convention cancellation, so the Food Bank has been preparing for a spike in need.

Now, for people who need help, the Food Bank is also offering a text service.

How it works: Text “findfood” with no space in between the words, or, in Spanish, “comida” to 888-976-2232. The service will then prompt you to text a zip code, then will respond with the three nearest food pantries.