As the number of positive Coronavirus cases in Cobb County and Georgia grows, so do questions about the availability of test kits throughout the state.
Shortly after noon Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported a big jump in the number of positive tests since Tuesday, from 146 to 197.
In Cobb, there are now 28 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, or COVID-19; there were 25 on Tuesday and 22 on Monday.
Also on Wednesday, two more deaths in Georgia were reported, patients at a hospital in Albany. The first death, a patient at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, was reported on March 7.
According to Georgia Health News, no information on those new deaths was made available, but the report said around 300 people in the Albany area have been tested and are waiting for results.
The Georgia DPH daily status report shows that around 1,500 people have been tested in Georgia thus far, more than 1,000 in commercial labs and the rest by the DPH.
Cobb’s 28 positive tests are the second-most for any county in Georgia. Fulton has 49, followed by Bartow with 19 and DeKalb with 18.
The DPH isn’t breaking down how those with positive test results are contracting the virus, nor giving a county-by-county count on how many people are being tested.
On Wednesday, Cobb and Douglas Public Health began offering drive-up testing for pre-approved people in what it termed high-risk groups, including health care providers and first responders, as well as those deemed vulnerable to getting Coronavirus or who have shown symptoms.
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At Jim Miller Park, where that service was being made available, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce urged the public not to come to that location.
“We have a shortage of test kits,” he said in a videotaped message. “I don’t know how many are on the way, but I am sure of this. This is America. We’re going to produce those test kits.”
For now, he said, the available test kits need to go to those considered at the greatest risk for COVID-19.
“We’re going to have more people who have the virus in the county, that’s a guarantee,” he said.
He said those who are sick should stay home, and those who have mild symptoms should wait 72 hours. After that, they should contact their health care provider. Anyone who shows up at Jim Miller Park or other drive-up locations set up around Georgia by DPH and who has not been approved to be tested will be turned away.
Boyce also urged citizens not to got to a hospital and potentially overwhelm medical professionals there. He said he’s reluctant to declare a state of emergency if something like that were to happen: “I don’t want to use that option.”
The City of South Fulton was put under a state of emergency Wednesday afternoon, banning public gatherings of 10 or more and issuing a curfew. All non-essential businesses—beyond those serving medical and pharmaceutical needs—must close by 9 p.m. each day until further notice.
Residents there should also be in their homes between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Cobb County government has set up a COVID-19 resource hub and a hotline to call for questions at 844-442-2681.
More about COVID-19 here from Cobb and Douglas Public Health.
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