COVID-19

Georgia Coronavirus cases grow to 99; Cobb total reaches 19

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Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

On Sunday the Georgia Department of Public Health reported that the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in Georgia went from 66 on Saturday to 99.

The number of cases in Cobb grew from 15 to 19 during that time, and Fulton now has the highest number of cases in the state with 20.

The daily status report is here; it is updated each day at noon.

Some readers have wondered why there isn’t more information than raw numbers being reported, and that simply putting out those numbers alone is just alarming people.

We’re not trying to do that, but passing along the information that is being provided.

Some of the Georgia DPH updates have included how those people testing positive for the disease may have gotten it—travel overseas, etc.—but the figures in those daily status reports don’t contain that.

When we get more of those details, we will include them, and will try to explain them and put them into context as best we can. Bear with this; this is new and uncharted territory for government agencies, health experts, the public, the news media and everyone else, and it’s fast-moving.

Our purpose isn’t to do a daily report with just the new case numbers and nothing else, but to illustrate how fast that total is climbing, and what public health officials and government agencies are doing in response.

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As the number of people being tested grows, so will the number of confirmed cases. We still aren’t being told how many people are being tested in Georgia, only that state health labs have the capacity to process 100 specimens a day.

The goal by the end of that week is 200 specimens a day, but without a better understanding of how widespread the testing is, those numbers don’t mean much.

There’s still so much about Coronavirus that we don’t understand and are trying to grapple with on the fly. At East Cobb News we do a lot of real-time reporting and updates and have every intent to expand on the raw numbers and latest developments.

Our main objective is help our community better understand what is happening, and how to navigate what’s becoming a dramatic new normal for all of us, and for some time to come.

Per Gov. Brian Kemp’s address on Saturday, Georgia is in a public health emergency. He has asked the legislature to convene Monday for a special session to ratify executive orders to address the crisis, including calling up the Georgia National Guard.

Also on Monday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners will be holding a special meeting to be briefed on the county’s response. That meeting begins at 1:30 p.m. and can be seen on the county’s YouTube and Facebook pages and Website, and CobbTV, Channel 23 on Comcast cable.

We’ll be reporting on that, and in the coming days we’ll be updating other community responses, including how you can help those in need during this crisis, what’s happening to those people who think they may have Coronavirus, how local businesses are faring and how citizens, families and organizations are practicing “social distancing.”

If you have any questions, suggestions or news tips related to covering Coronavirus as it affects us here in East Cobb and the larger Cobb community, please get in touch: editor@eastcobbnews.com.

 

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Ga. presidential primary delayed to May; advance voting halted

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Georgia runoff elections

Georgia’s response to the Coronavirus outbreak has prompted a delay in the state’s presidential primary.

Early voting has been underway since March 2 for the March 24 primary, which has now been pushed back to May 19.

That announcement was made Saturday by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (here’s his full statement).

May 19 is the date of Georgia’s general primary, which includes all other federal, state and local candidates.

“Events are moving rapidly and my highest priority is protecting the health of our poll workers, their families, and the community at large,” Raffensperger said. “Given these circumstances, I believe it is necessary and prudent to suspend the voting in the Presidential Preference Primary, and the local elections associated with them, and roll them into the already scheduled May 19 General Primary.”

Raffensperger said early voting would be halted for now.

He said one of the main concerns is conducting elections with a high number of poll workers 70 and older, and who are considered in a high-risk group because of their age.

On Saturday, Louisiana’s presidential primary, scheduled for April 4, was delayed to June 20.

The decision to delay the Georgia presidential primary came hours after Gov. Brian Kemp declared a public health emergency in the state. He also issued an executive order to call up as many as 2,000 Georgia National Guard troops in response to the situation.

Georgia’s positive tests for Coronavirus jumped from 42 on Friday to 66 Saturday; and Cobb’s nearly doubled in that time, from 8 to 15, the highest number of cases for any county in the state.

Cobb also has Georgia’s only Coronavirus-related death, a 67-year-old man who was being treated at WellStar Kennestone Hospital and had other medical issues.

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Early voting in Cobb was to have expanded beyond the Cobb Elections main office in Marietta next week, including polling locations at the East Cobb Government Service Center, the Tim D. Lee Senior Center and Noonday Baptist Church.

Early voting did take place Saturday at the East Cobb Government Service Center, located on Lower Roswell Road.

According to Cobb Elections, 8,223 people have voted in Cobb during the early voting period through Thursday, 6,623 in the Democratic primary, and 1,600 in the Republican primary.

Another 5,461 absentee ballots have been issued, with 2,367 returned. Most of those ballots also have been Democratic.

Incumbent President Donald Trump is the only name on the Georgia GOP ballot, and former Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders are the only remaining major candidates still vying for the Democratic nomination.

Since winning the South Carolina primary on Feb. 29, Biden has won 14 other state primaries, including North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee, and leads Sanders 890-736 in the delegate count.

The Georgia ballot includes several candidates who have suspended their campaigns, including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Klobuchar, Buttigieg and Bloomberg have endorsed Biden.

 

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Cobb’s 15 Coronavirus cases leads Ga.; state emergency declared

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Gov. Brian Kemp, Georgia Coronavirus emergency

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.

Related stories

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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Cobb declares judicial emergency; trials suspended 30 days

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Cobb Superior Court, Cobb judicial emergency

A judicial emergency was declared to suspend jury trials in Cobb for 30 days, starting Friday, by Reuben Green, Chief Judge of the Cobb Superior Court, in response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

His order, which was handed down late Friday afternoon, applies to all jury trials in Superior Court and Cobb State Court.

That means jurors called for jury duty do not have to appear and that “only parties, attorneys and necessary witnesses should appear for hearings that are going forward.”

Court and legal proceedings deemed to be essential will be going on, and they are detailed in his order (You can read it here).

Jury weeks for the rest of March and all of April have been cancelled.

Green wrote in his order that while “the court will remain open for the public, they are encouraged to stay home.”

Anyone making a court appearance is asked to leave behind “non-essential people” to that proceeding, including family members, children “and, especially the elderly.”

Green also wrote that inmates at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center summoned to appear in court “will not be transported unless specifically requested by the Judge’s chambers, District Attorney, or Defense Attorney.”

Green wrote that anyone who doesn’t feel well should not come to court, and that parties involved in any case should contact the appropriate judge’s office to get an excused absence.

Related stories

 

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Cobb schools to make food donations to MUST during closures

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MUST Ministries summer lunch program

The Cobb County School District sent out this statement Friday afternoon:

To continue to support Cobb students while schools are closed, the Cobb County School District is pleased to announce that the District is partnering with MUST Ministries to provide food to our students in need. 

By partnering with MUST Ministries, Cobb Schools will be able to extend the support to the entire family, not just those students who attend Cobb Schools.  

“We are thankful for this additional opportunity to partner with MUST Ministries. Partnering to help our Cobb families in need is truly an example of the community coming together,” said Superintendent Chris Ragsdale. “During this unprecedented time, there may be more families in need than just those who receive free and reduced lunches. By partnering with MUST, we will also be able to help those families.”  

The Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services kitchens are making large food donations to MUST Ministries, which MUST will use to feed Cobb families.  

“We are always honored to partner with Cobb County Schools year-round when it comes to taking care of at-risk children and their families. Currently, we serve 70 schools through 32 Cobb County school locations called MUST Neighborhood Pantries,” said Dr. Ike Reighard, President, and CEO of MUST Ministries. “With the schools closing and no access to the pantries, we have created the MUST Food Rapid Response effort to continue to meet the needs and expand to other families in need. We anticipate partnering with satellite locations to distribute family food boxes. While this is a work in progress, we hope to have locations and times settled by early next week.” 

Currently, MUST serves 1,500 families a month through Neighborhood Pantries and three main pantry locations. The MUST Food Rapid Response program will expand that reach. 

For more information about the MUST Food Rapid Response program including pick-up locations, times, and other details will be available on the MUST Ministries website next week.  

MUST has put together a list of what it’s going to need in particular while school’s out:

  • Beef stew
  • canned green beans
  • dry milk (carton)
  • pinto or baked beans
  • canned pasta
  • pasta bags
  • canned carrots
  • canned tuna
  • Chunky soup
  • canned corn
  • other beans;
  • canned potatoes
  • canned tomatoes
  • mac & cheese boxes
  • canned mixed vegetables
  • canned peaches and fruit
  • oatmeal bag/rice bag

These non-perishable food donations at 1280 Field Parkway in Marietta; you can also give financially by going to mustministries.com/give-help.

You can also buy food on the MUST list from Amazon by clicking here.

 

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East Cobb churches, faith communities make Coronavirus changes

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Mt Zion United Methodist Church
Mt Zion United Methodist Church is among the East Cobb churches cancelling Sunday services.

We’re starting to get word about closings, cancellations and changes to the service and activity schedules at East Cobb churches and faith communities.

The following is a running list that will be continuously updated. If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community (religious or otherwise), let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.

Be advised that this information is subject to change; many of the following faith communities frequently update their Facebook pages:

  • Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church: Sunday, March 15 services will continue, but without communion, except by individual request; services also will be live-streamed on the church’s YouTube channel; Sunday school classes are cancelled for March 15 and 22;
  • Catholic Church of St. Ann: Only Masses, weddings, funerals and reconciliation will take place through the end of March; live-streaming is available for 8:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday Masses;
  • Chattahoochee Baptist Church: Online services only March 15 and 22; group activities and meetings cancelled through March 27;
  • Chestnut Ridge Christian Church: In-person services are cancelled through the end of March; live-streaming is available for the 11 a.m. Sunday service;
  • Christ Orthodox Presbyterian: Sunday services are cancelled for March 15;
  • Congregation Etz Chaim: Shabbat Sasson service scheduled for Friday, March 13 is scheduled to take place, but a Shabbat Sasson dinner to follow has been cancelled; the preschool will be closed starting Monday until further notice;
  • East Cobb Church of Christ: All Sunday services cancelled March 15 and Wednesday services and activities are cancelled until further notice;
  • East Cobb Islamic Center: Jumu’ah prayer and all other programs cancelled indefinitely;
  • East Cobb UMC: Sunday worship services March 15 and activities next week are cancelled;
  • Eastminster Presbyterian Church: Worship services for March 15 have been cancelled;
  • Eastside Baptist Church: Regular Sunday worship services on Sunday, March 15, will be held, but members are encouraged to watch online; preschool and weekday activities cancelled;
  • Emerson Universalist Unitarian Congregation: All services and gatherings are suspended until further notice;
  • Faith Lutheran Church: All services and activities are cancelled for March 15;
  • Holy Family Catholic Church: Lenten Fish Fry for Friday, March 13 is cancelled; all faith formation classes are cancelled; Mass services will continue as schedule on Sunday, March 15;
  • Holy Trinity Lutheran Church: This Sunday’s worship services will be held as scheduled, but Sunday school classes are cancelled;
  • Hope Presbyterian Church: 11 a.m. Sunday worship service is on, but Sunday school and Sunday evening worship is cancelled for March 15 and 22;
  • Johnson Ferry Baptist Church: Two services will be available online this Sunday, March 15, 8:30 a.m. traditional in the sanctuary and 9:50 a.m. modern in the Activities Center. Both services will be live-streamed; preschool Bible study will go on at the same times. No adult, student or children’s Sunday Bible studies and no Kids Church. Starting Monday, all other regularly scheduled ministry and programming events will be suspended until further notice;
  • Lutheran Church of the Incarnation: Sunday, March 15 service is still scheduled; future services and activities to be determined;
  • Lutheran Church of the Resurrection: Sunday services for March 15 and 22 have been cancelled; all meetings and group activities are cancelled through March 28;
  • Mt. Bethel UMC: Services will be online only on March 15 and 22 and will be streamed starting at 11 a.m.;
  • Mt. Paran North Church of God: Online service only on Sunday, March 15, at 11:15 a.m.;
  • Mt. Zion UMC: All activities and March 15 Sunday worship services are cancelled;
  • Piedmont Church: Sunday online services only this Sunday, March 15, at 9:30 and 11 a.m. are streamed on the church’s Facebook page;
  • Pilgrimage United Church of Christ: A modified service will be live-streamed Sunday, March 15, at 10 a.m.;
  • Powers Ferry Road Church of Christ: Sunday and Wednesday services cancelled;
  • St. Andrew UMC: All Sunday worship services and Sunday classes are cancelled March 15 and 22;
  • St. Catherine’s Episcopal: All church and preschool activities are cancelled until further notice; daily evening prayer at 8 p.m. and one Sunday service at 10 a.m. will be streamed on church’s Facebook page;
  • Sandy Plains Baptist Church: All services and activities are cancelled until further notice;
  • Temple Kol Emeth: Services and Purim Spiel on Friday, March 13, will only be available as a live-stream event. No in-person programming on Friday; All other programming scheduled in the building for Sunday, March 15 and Monday, March 16, is being postponed or held online;
  • Transfiguration Catholic Church: All parish activities cancelled, including Saturday Seder meal; Masses, Stations of the Cross, and Adoration will continue as scheduled;
  • Unity North Church: Sunday worship services cancelled for March 15 and 22;
  • Wesley Chapel UMC: Sunday services March 15 and 22 and most other activities are cancelled.

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Cobb Commissioners call special Coronavirus response meeting

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Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

On Monday the Cobb Board of Commissioners will hold a special called meeting to discuss the county’s response to Coronavirus.

That meeting starts at 1:30 p.m. in the second-floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.

Earlier this week commissioners heard an overview of response plans, including the formation of a task force to include public safety, health and other administrative leaders.

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce and Cobb Public and Douglas Health Director Dr. Janice Memark later provided an update (below).

Georgia’s first Coronavirus death this week was a patient at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, and Cobb has eight positive cases, including an individual at Kincaid Elementary School in East Cobb.

Those eight cases are the most in the state, along with eight in Fulton County, as Georgia’s count has surpassed 40.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday asked schools to close, and many did.

The Cobb County School District announced late Thursday iit would be closing until further notice, starting on Monday.

Private schools also are closing, in accordance with the Cobb closure, and the state university system and many private colleges also are closing.

More planes carrying San Francisco cruise ship passengers arrived late Thursday and early Friday at Dobbins Air Base in Cobb, where they are undergoing quarantine.

The first two planes totalled nearly 250; it’s unclear now how many individuals in all are being housed at Dobbins.

On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to declare a national state of emergency.

Related link

Cobb government has made a number of cancellation and closure announcements this week, and other events in Cobb also have been called off. Here’s the most updated list the county is sending out for now:

  • The Cat Art Show at the Art Place-Mountain View scheduled for March 28 has been cancelled;
  • The Bellpoint Gem Show organizer has canceled March 13-15 shows at the Cobb Civic Center;
  • Peach State Roller Derby opening matches on March 28 at the Cobb Civic Center are cancelled;
  • Georgia Ballet’s production of COPPELIA at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre March 19-22 has been canceled.
  • The SPLOST Oversight Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, March 19 has been cancelled;
  • The 2020 Cobb Spring Book Sale scheduled for March 13-15, at the Cobb Civic Center has been cancelled;
  • Spring Arts Fest scheduled for Saturday, March 21 has been cancelled;
  • The “Airplanes and Aircrews” event on March 21 at the Aviation Wing has been postponed until June 6;
  • Cobb Library events are cancelled through March 31, and community room use by outside organizations at Cobb libraries are also cancelled;
  • Commissioner Ott cancels town halls scheduled for March 17 at Chestnut Ridge Christian Church and  April 21 at East Cobb Library;
  • SPLOST Open Houses canceled through March 31. Public meetings will resume in April.

Related stories

Send us your news!

If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.

 

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Cobb County schools closing Monday ‘until further notice’

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New Brumby Elementary School

The Cobb County School District announced late Thursday that all classes and activities will be cancelled starting on Monday as the second-largest school district in Georgia will be closing due to the Coronavirus outbreak “until further notice.”

The decision was announced at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, not long after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp urged public school districts and the state’s public universities to close for two weeks.

He said at a press conference that it wouldn’t be a mandate.

Marietta City Schools and Atlanta Public Schools announced Thursday that those systems would be closing for two weeks, also starting on Monday.

The Walker School announced earlier Thursday it would be closing, and East Cobb private schools Mt. Bethel Christian Academy and Eastside Christian School also are closing, in accordance with CCSD.

The Georgia General Assembly was also suspending the current legislative session.

Those closures comes on the same day that the state announced the first Georgia Coronavirus-related death, a 67-year-old man at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.

The Cobb schools announcement reads as follows, and this story will be updated:

The school closures include all school building activities, athletics/sports, extracurricular school activities, and trips.   

While our school buildings will be closed, the education process will not stop. All staff will work remotely to best support students, including delivering digital and physical instructional resources to students while they’re at home.  

We know that you may have questions regarding how the school closure will impact you, and we will work to provide you the answers.  

We will continue to keep our community updated on the next steps during the school closure process as we turn to our digital learning resources.   

More information will be communicated on Friday, March 13 to all our families and staff. Please continue to stay updated on www.cobbk12.org/covid/.

Related stories

Send us your news!

If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.

 

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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News 

Cobb Coronavirus update: The Walker School closes, library cancellations, and more

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East Cobb Library, Cobb budget crisis
All programs and events at Cobb library branches are cancelled until the end of March.

A wide variety of cancellations and other measures relating to the Coronavirus response have been announced on Thursday in Cobb County.

The Walker School, a private school on Cobb Parkway and Allgood Road, announced Thursday it would be closing Friday “until further notice.”

A message released by the school said there were no Coronavirus cases there, but said the decision was made “based on our top priority to protect the health and safety of our students, families and employees and by our communal responsibility to slow the spread of COVID-19.”

Friday and Monday are professional development days for faculty and staff at Walker, which has nearly 900 K-12 students.

The Walker message further stressed, in all bold lettering, that “school closures will not be effective unless they are accompanied by social distancing strategies.”

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Georgia’s first death due to Coronavirus was a 67-year-old man who had been treated at WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta.

State health officials said the man had other medical issues, and people like that, along with the elderly, are high-risk for contracting Coronavirus.

At The Solana East Cobb, a new senior living facility on Johnson Ferry Road, no visitors are permitted until further notice, with only limited exceptions or in the case of an emergency.

Health care providers coming there will be screened before being allowed on the premises, and residents must remain on the grounds except to receive medical care.

United Military Care, a veterans’ assistance organization on Old Canton Road, said Thursday that they aren’t taking walk-in clients for the time being since some of them are older and have “fragile medical conditions.”

A veteran with an emergency can contact the agency at 770-973-0014 and leave a voicemail with a return telephone number. UMC’s e-mail address is info@unitedmilitarycare.org.

“Our Veterans are precious to us; We do not want to facilitate the transmission of any potentially harmful viruses to those with underlying medical conditions or weakened immune systems,” said a UMC message.

“Please listen to medical experts on how to manage this virus and do not fall prey to rumors and unfounded nonsense.”

Faith communities respond

Several places of worship in East Cobb are communicating with their members about precautions they’re taking.

Starting Sunday at the East Cobb Church of Christ, “we will not be passing anything during communion.” Instead, worshippers can pick up a container when they enter that has a wafer and plastic cup of juice. “These will be used during communion until the fear of virus is over.” the church’s message stated. “Members will deposit the used cups in the holders on the back of the pews.”

Collection plates also will not be passed around, but will be available for deposits in the front foyer. The church is also making available sanitized wipes at various entries.

In his press conference Thursday, Gov. Kemp asked that elderly people not attend worship services for the time being.

Library events cancelled

The Cobb County Public Library System announced that starting Friday and continuing through the end of March, all programs and events at its branches will be cancelled.

This weekend’s Cobb Library Foundation book sale at the Cobb Civic Center and Census events at libraries also have been called off. 

School events on hold

Some East Cobb schools have cancelled extracurricular events.

Thursday’s Magnet Accepted Student Showcase at Wheeler High School was cancelled. There are no known Coronavirus cases at Wheeler, but the decision was cautionary. 

So was the cancellation of the March Madness Parents Night Out March 26 at Lassiter High School. The event was for parents to see a showing of the Lassiter Drama Club’s production of “Sweeney Todd,” while students entertained their kids.

A forum for candidates running for Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education is still on, and will take place Sunday afternoon at Pope High School.

For those who can’t go due to self-isolation or other issues, a recording will be available later at this link.

Questions may be submitted as late as 10 p.m. Saturday by e-mailing popehscouncil@gmail.com.

Absentee ballot applications

Cobb Elections is encouraging voters concerned about Coronavirus to apply for an absentee ballot, which will be mailed to your home.

Complete an absentee ballot application at CobbElections.org, print it out and send an attached image of the application and e-mail it to: absentee@cobbcounty.org.

Send us your news!

If you have any Coronavirus-related cancellations, changes or news to share with the East Cobb community, let us know. E-mail us: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll include it in future posts.

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Coronavirus update: First Georgia death was Cobb patient

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Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday afternoon that Georgia’s first Coronavirus death was a man who had been at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

The man, who was 67 years old, tested positive for the virus on March 7, and had underlying medical conditions, according to a statement issued by the governor’s office and the Georgia Department of Health.

“Marty, the girls, and I are praying for the family and loved ones of this individual during this incredibly difficult time,” Kemp said in the statement. “I know the medical professionals on site did everything that they could, and I greatly appreciate their efforts. As our state continues to address this pandemic, I urge Georgians to remain calm and support their neighbors and communities. We are in this fight together.”

Older people and those with medical conditions are considered at high-risk for contracting Coronavirus, which has claimed more than 4,600 lives, around 40 in the United States, and infected more than 125,000 people in nearly 100 countries.

Those in those high-risk groups—including people with heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease—are being asked to prepare to stay at home for an extended time to limit their exposure to the virus.

Georgia DPH is recommending that they have two weeks’ worth of household items, groceries, water and extra supplies of medications.

The agency also urged all Georgians to continue to take preventatiive measures, including regularly washing hands with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick and staying home if sick.

Citizens are also asked to regularly clean and disinfect objects and surface they frequently use.

Related stories

On Wednesday the Georgia Department of Health updated its Coronavirus statistics to indicate 31 presumed or confirmed cases of the viral disease in the state.

Of those cases, 12 are confirmed, and 19 are presumed positive.

Cobb County has the most overall cases in Georgia, with a total of nine of the 31. There has been a second confirmed case in the county, while six more are presumed positive.

Presumed positive cases require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

An individual at Kincaid Elementary School has tested positive for Coronavirus, prompting a 14-day shutdown and cleaning of the school, starting today.

UPDATED, 2 P.M.:

WellStar Health System sent out this message:

Out of an abundance of caution for current concerns about COVID-19, Wellstar has assembled a team of infectious disease and infection prevention specialists from across Wellstar Health System who communicate daily to stay up to date on the latest developments and prepare for patient care.

All of our Wellstar’s facilities are open and operating under normal business hours.

Additionally, for the health and safety of our patients/team members, and following CDC guidelines, Wellstar has begun screening visitors at all of our locations for symptoms related to COVID-19, effective immediately.

Visitors should expect to have their temperature taken, have any potential symptoms reviewed, and will be asked about their travel history. Visitors who do not pass the screening will be requested to refrain from visiting patients until they have been self-quarantined for 14 days or all symptoms have been resolved. No visitors will be allowed for people who have tested positive for COVID-19 or who have recently traveled from regions with widespread community spread of the disease. This process is temporary and is designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.

Although there is still a very low risk for people to contract the virus, Wellstar is well-prepared to meet the healthcare needs of the communities we serve.

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Kincaid ES closed for 14 days after positive Coronavirus case

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Kincaid ES

The Cobb County School District said Wednesday it is closing Kincaid Elementary School in Northeast Cobb for 14 days, starting Thursday, due to a positive case of Coronavirus at the school.

The district statement did not indicate if the individual is a student, teacher or staff member at the school, and said it would not discuss specifics due to federal privacy laws and at the request of the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Nan Kiel, a district spokeswoman, said that within 48 hours of the closure at Kincaid, ”Cobb staff will thoroughly clean and sanitize the entire campus, including buses.”

She said that no other Cobb schools will be closed at this time. The Kincaid closure is the first in the Cobb district, which has 112 schools and is the second largest school districg in Georgia with nearly 112,000 students.

Kincaid is in the Sprayberry High School cluster, and other feeder schools include Daniell Middle School, Simpson Middle School, Dodgen Middle School and Walton High School.

In its statement Cobb schools didn’t mention whether other schools in the cluster or feeder schools that use the same buses as those serving Kincaid may be affected.

Kiel said that Kincaid students will be getting online instruction from their teachers “using a variety of digital platforms and tools.”

Piedmont Church in Northeast Cobb, whose members include families in the nearby Kincaid attendance zone, cancelled its Wednesday night activities.

Fulton County schools, with 94,000 students, have been closed since Tuesday due to a positive case of Coronavirus of a teacher at one of its schools. All but two schools in that district—two middle schools in south Fulton—will be open on Thursday.

Cobb schools has posted its Coronavirus guidance here.

The Kincaid closing comes as cancellations of public events around the U.S. is growing, including in Cobb (see links below).

Related stories

On Wednesday, the World Health Organization declared Coronavirus to be a pandemic, a reference to how fast it is spreading globally.

More than 125,000 cases have been confirmed around the world, and more than 4,600 deaths, around half of those in China.

In the U.S., more than 1,100 cases have been confirmed, with 37 deaths, 24 alone in Washington state. Georgia has six confirmed cases, including one in Cobb. The number of “presumptive positive” tests has grown to 16, with six in Cobb.

Those test results still must be confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

More than 100 passengers of a cruise liner off the coast of San Francisco have been flown to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb for quarantine, and more are expected. Cobb officials have said none of those individuals have tested positive for Coronavirus.

Also on Wednesday, changes were made involving many sporting events around North America. Among them are the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, which will be played, but fans other than family members will be banned.

The men’s Final Four scheduled for the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta April 3-5 may be relocated to a smaller arena in the metro area.

The popular St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Savannah also has been cancelled.

 

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Ott cancels town halls; Cobb announces Coronavirus measures

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Bob Ott

Concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted Cobb government officials to cancel some events and announce other related measures.

Commissioner Bob Ott (above) said Wednesday afternoon that two upcoming town hall meetings he had scheduled in East Cobb are being cancelled “out of an abundance of caution.”

They were to have taken place next Tuesday at the Chestnut Ridge Christian Church and April 21 at the East Cobb Library.

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has cancelled six upcoming SPLOST open houses for the rest of March, due to concerns over large crowds. The open houses began last week, and those scheduled for April and early May are still on for now, according to a release issued by the county Wednesday afternoon.

“Boyce considered this a prudent move based on concerns of residents and the desire to help staff focus primarily on protecting our community by handling other issues as they develop,” according to the county statement.

The West Cobb Library was closed Tuesday and remains closed until further notice after county officials said an employee there reported possibly being exposed to someone with a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

The county release said all senior centers, including the Tim D. Lee Center on Sandy Plains Road in East Cobb, will be cleaned on the weekends. Seniors are considered a high-risk group for contracting Coronavirus.

The county has issued travel guidelines for employees and established a task force that is meeting daily, composed of health, public safety and other administrators to address the continuing Coronavirus situation.

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More than 100 people from a cruise ship near San Francisco have been brought to Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb to begin a 14-day quarantine period under the auspices of federal health officials.

Another plane with cruise ship passengers is expected to arrive at Dobbins shortly.

There are six confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Georgia, including one in Cobb County. That individual, who is in home isolation, recently traveled to Italy, which is on a nationwide lockdown and has had hundreds of Coronavirus-related deaths.

Late Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp said the number of “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus in Georgia has grown to 16, and Cobb County has the most, with six.

Presumptive positive cases are those that have been conducted by state health officials but still require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The county is asking anyone needing information or having questions about its Coronavirus response to visit its resource page or the CDC website.

 

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East Side Baseball postpones opening day event due to Coronavirus

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Fullers Park, East Cobb parks and recreational facilities
Fields at Fullers Park, where the East Side Baseball Association plays. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Rainy weather postponed the start of the spring season for the East Side Baseball Association, but concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted the organization to put a hold on its opening day celebrations for now.

President Marc Glickman told East Cobb News that this wasn’t a typical opening day event, but was a celebration to mark East Side Baseball’s 50th anniversary.

The event was to have taken place this Saturday, after weather issues postponed it last weekend. The opening day event, he said, typically draws several hundred people.

“We’re still playing baseball games, but we felt it was the right decision,” he said. “We didn’t take it lightly, and it was a difficult decision, but we don’t have to have that ceremony to play baseball.”

The celebration was to have taken place at Fullers Park. East Side Baseball has between 700 to 800 youths from ages 4-16 who play there in various recreation and travel leagues.

There are six confirmed cases of Coronavirus in Georgia, including one in Cobb County. That individual, who is in home isolation, recently traveled to Italy, which is on a nationwide lockdown and has had hundreds of Coronavirus-related deaths.

Late Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp said the number of “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus in Georgia has grown to 16, and Cobb County has the most, with six.

Presumptive positive cases are those that have been conducted by state health officials but still require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The three new individuals in Cobb County who are presumptive positive cases are hospitalized, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. One of the Cobb individuals has a travel history outside the U.S.; the other sources of infection are unknown.

The West Cobb Library was closed Tuesday after county officials said an employee there reported possibly being exposed to someone with a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

County spokesman Ross Cavitt said the library worker was sent home and the library branch, located on Dennis Kemp Lane in Kennesaw, is undergoing a deep cleaning remains closed for the time being.

County officials said Tuesday they’re forming a Coronavirus task force to coordinate preparations for a possible shutdown of county government. The plans would call for some county employees to work remotely and other considerations would include child care arrangements in the case of school closures and safety measures for first responders.

A child care center in Acworth also was closed after a teacher there had a presumptive positive test.

In a note to East Side parents sent earlier this week, Glickman said that “while the odds of contracting the virus remain extremely low, moving forward with a gathering event that is not considered essential to the main purpose of our league does not feel like the right thing to do. Our focus at this point in time as it relates to ESBA is to try to play as much baseball as we can and that’s what we will plan to do.”

Games have begun, and Glickman said a no-handshake policy is going into effect after games. Parents are being allowed to visit dugouts during games to wipe down their kids’ equipment and gear.

He said he’s received “very favorable feedback” from parents about the precautionary measures and that nobody’s pulled their children out due to concerns about Coronavirus.

The 50th anniversary celebration was to have included music, food, raffle prizes and other festivities. Glickman said a decision about whether to have that event will be made at a later time.

Related story

 

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Cruise passengers to be quarantined at Dobbins for Coronavirus

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Another day, another Coronavirus update from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who said Sunday morning that Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb will be a quarantine venue for California cruise passengers as soon as Monday.Cobb coronavirus statement

He said after late briefings Saturday night, 34 Georgians and other passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship are headed here, and that they will be “securely transferred.”

The release didn’t indicate how many more people will be coming beyond the 34, and how long they’ll be quarantined.

The ship was not allowed to port in San Francisco and was being detained offshore after two passengers were confirmed to have Coronavirus.

Related story

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said Sunday he’s been in touch with the White House and the governor’s office about the arrival of the Grand Princess passengers and reiterated that “they are not people who have the virus.”

In a video presentation with several county health and public safety officials, Boyce said the Dobbins setup is “a contingency that has been planned for several weeks.”

Dr. Janet Memark, the Director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said the quarantine at Dobbins is a “low-risk operation” and added that 80 percent of those who have been diagnosed are having “very mild” health issues.

She urged citizens to stay home if they’re not sick or feeling well and to take other precautionary measures such as regular hand-washing.

She also said the Georgia Department of Public Health has set up a Coronavirus hotline for anyone with questions. They can call 866-782-4584 to get more information, and the agency has provided this information and prevention tip sheet.

 

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Gov. Kemp: First Coronavirus case confirmed in Cobb County

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Cobb County Coronavirus case
Calls from public health officials to wash hands and keep counter surfaces clean have prompted a run on handwipes, including this Publix in East Cobb. (ECN photo)

Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that three additional cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Georgia, including the first in Cobb County.

The governor’s office sent out a news release Saturday morning saying that the state’s confirmed cases now total five, following the first two confirmations earlier this week.

According to Saturday’s release, the Cobb County patient was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Italy, and is in isolation at home.

Another new case concerns an individual who is hospitalized, with an unclear source of exposure.

Those two individuals were tested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

State officials also are awaiting further results from a possible positive test for Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Gwinnett County. The Georgia Department of Public Health also confirmed it tested an individual diagnosed with Coronavirus in Floyd County, and that patient also is in the hospital, according to Saturday’s release.

The release (you can read it here) did not indicate how many individuals have been tested in Georgia. It did state that “the overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low and there is no evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Georgia at this time.”

Coronavirus is a highly contagious viral disease that originated in Wuhan, China and was first identified in December.

Since then, it’s spread across the globe to more than 80 countries, with more than 100,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths.

Most of those have been in China, but South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy also have been inundated with cases and fatalities.

As of Saturday morning, 17 deaths have occurred in the United States, including two in Florida. Those were the first deaths in the Eastern U.S.; the majority of deaths and cases has been in the Seattle area.

The Cobb and Gwinnett cases were like the first Georgia cases, following travel to Italy. Nearly 200 people have died in Italy from Coronavirus, including nearly 50 in a 24-hour period, and there are nearly 5,000 confirmed cases there.

On Friday, President Donald Trump visited the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, after initially cancelling the trip.

Here’s more from the CDC about Coronavirus, with information about those at higher risk, symptoms, prevention and treatment.

The Cobb County School District has updated its guidance for Coronavirus.

 

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Cobb public health officials issue coronavirus statement

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As the first cases of coronavirus in Georgia were revealed, the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department has issued a statement about the outbreak.Cobb coronavirus statement

The alert was issued prior to a late-night press conference Monday by Gov. Brian Kemp confirming two cases of COVID-19 in Fulton County.

They’re a father and son, and one of them had traveled back recently from Milan, Italy, which is experiencing an outbreak of the virus.

During the press conference, state health officials said the two individuals were in home quarantine and in communication with their doctor.

More than 90,000 people have contracted coronavirus, a highly contagious illness, in nearly 80 countries around the world. More than 3,000 deaths have been reported, mostly in China.

The only deaths thus far in the U.S. have been in Washington State, where on Tuesday a ninth fatality was confirmed.

The Cobb/Douglas statement contains a basic explanation of the virus, along with preventative measures, such as thorough hand-washing, and that all testing is being done by the state at this time.

The statement said coronavirus spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and that symptoms appear between two and 14 days after exposure. They include:

  • runny nose
  • headache
  • cough
  • shortness of breath
  • fever
  • a general feeling of being unwell.

Here’s more about the local response, as the number of cases is expected to grow:

  • Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) is preparing internally, as well as with the state and the CDC to slow or prevent community spread. We are working with our partners, including the local governments, healthcare organizations, businesses, first responders, and local school districts to ensure our community is prepared for a potential COVID-19 outbreak.

  • We are reaching out to our county Boards of Health, emergency management agencies, chambers of commerce, and other partners who may need our guidance and are sending them guidance on how to prepare their organizations.

  • CDPH staff receive frequent updates from the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health. These updates include information on the current situation abroad and in the U.S., testing, surveillance, quarantine, and more. This helps shape our local response.

  • CDPH  has a previously-developed pandemic influenza plan that can serve as a template for responding to other outbreaks of severe respiratory disease, like COVID-19. We are reviewing our plan and are also prepared to implement specific COVID-19 guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC as the situation evolves.

The Cobb County School District last week sent out a notice about the coronavirus, including a statement from the Georgia Department of Public Health, as well as an updated FAQ Tuesday following the confirmation of the Georgia cases:

The District will continue to stay in constant communication with Georgia Department of Health officials and will follow their guidance every step of the way in order to keep our students and staff safe. Our schools continue to remind students and staff on how to prevent the spread of illness including hand washing, covering mouths when they cough, and keeping their hands away from their face. Parents are urged to keep students at home if they have any symptoms of sickness. 

Should a staff member or student become ill, Cobb Schools already has a reporting protocol in place regarding infectious diseases, which is part of the District’s Infectious Disease Response Plan. The District will use guidance from public health officials to update and apply the plan to respond to COVID-19.  

DPH has also issued guidance about the coronavirus, which was first diagnosed in December in Wuhan, China.

The federal Centers for Disease Control has issued its highest alerts for China and Iran, recommending against non-essential travel there, and that entry by foreign nationals from those countries has been suspended.

U.S. travelers are being advised against non-essential trips to South Korea and Italy, and older adults or those with chronic medical conditions not visit Japan.

More CDC coronavirus information can be found here.

 

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