Gov. Brian Kemp said that the number of Coronavirus cases in Georgia jumped from 42 on Friday to 64 Saturday morning, and that Cobb County has the highest number of cases in the state.
UPDATE: That number is now at 66.
That’s the single-biggest 24-hour increase in Coronavirus cases that have been recorded thus far.
Cobb’s 15 positive Coronavirus cases nearly doubled overnight, from the eight cases that had been reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health on Friday.
(DPH daily tracking info can be found here, updated at noon).
Cobb also has the only Coronavirus-related death in Georgia, a 67-year-old man with other medical issues who was being treated at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
In prepared remarks read from his ceremonial office Saturday morning, Kemp declared a public health emergency in Georgia and called an emergency session of the General Assembly to meet at 8 a.m. Monday to ratify his executive order.
(You can watch his address here and read his executive order here.)
He also said he would ask legislators for $100 million in emergency funding to battle the spread of Coronavirus, mostly for public health and emergency operations.
His measures also would authorize DPH to direct actions “in extraordinary situations” to combat the viral disease, and would allow nurses from other states to be certified to assist in Georgia.
He also wants to lift regulations on truckers to streamline deliveries of food and other daily living supplies to stores.
His proposals would allow him to suspend laws and regulations and take over civil forces, even mandating evacuations.
Kemp’s actions follow a national state of emergency declared Friday by President Donald Trump, who’s calling for $50 billion for emergency Coronavirus measures.
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- Cobb commissioners to hold special Coronavirus meeting
- Cobb schools closing Monday “until further notice”
- Cobb library events cancelled, including spring book sale
- Georgia’s first Coronavirus death was Kennestone patient
- Ott town halls, Cobb SPLOST open houses cancelled
In calling the present crisis an “unprecedented” situation, Kemp repeated calls for Georgians to take preventative measures to stall the spread of Coronavirus and enable the work of public health, emergency and medical professionals.
Earlier this week he called for the closures of schools. On Saturday, he urged churches and faith communities to cancel worship services or hold them online, and is asking Georgia employers to consider teleworking options.
“Georgians need to incorporate social distancing into their everyday lives,” Kemp said. Otherwise we risk a run on critical resources for the sickest patients in our state. Now is the time to act.”
Kemp said Georgia health labs are currently processing around 100 Coronavirus test specimens a day, and he wants to be able to double that figure to 200 by the end of the week.
Georgia Coronavirus cases by County
- Cobb—15
- Fulton—13
- DeKalb—8
- Bartow—7
- Cherokee—5
- Fayette—4
- Floyd—3
- Gordon, Coweta, Gwinnett—2
- Lee, Henry, Lowndes, Polk, Charlton—1
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Thanks for all the great information! Keep up the good work!