East Cobb News

Georgia Coronavirus cases top 2,000; 144 confirmed in Cobb

March 27, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

The number of positive Coronavirus cases in Georgia surpassed the 2,000 mark on Friday, or nearly one in five people who have been tested for COVID-19.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, as of noon Friday 2,001 people have tested positive, with 566 hospitalized. There have been 64 deaths in the state attributed to COVID-19.

The number of cases Thursday night was over 1,600. Currently 9,865 people have been tested across the state.

In a town hall meeting Thursday night, Gov. Brian Kemp the state is working with data that’s two weeks old, so the caseload is expected to continue to surge.

During the town hall, which was aired on radio and television outlets across Georgia, Kemp defended his decision not to impose a statewide lockdown, as has been the case in other states.

He has issued a shelter-in-place order for vulnerable populations, especially the elderly, and stressed that they should stay home. He referenced his own mother.

While there are high population areas and cities—especially Albany—where high numbers of cases are being reported, Kemp said “I have to balance that” with rural counties who don’t have any at all.

He said that “we’ve targeted areas that we need to target.”

In Friday’s update, 24 counties reported their first positive cases. In all, 103 of Georgia’s 159 counties now have positive test results.

Fulton County leads the way with 307, followed by Dougherty (where Albany is located) with 193, then DeKalb (181) and Cobb. Most of the other counties with the most cases are in metro Atlanta, as well as Athens, Gainesville and Rome:

Gwinnett	102
Bartow	98
Carroll	55
Cherokee	46
Clayton	46
Henry	40
Lee	35
Clarke	32
Douglas	27
Hall	24
Floyd	20

Friday’s update doesn’t have a county-by-county breakdown of deaths. Earlier this week, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, told Cobb commissioners there had been five deaths in Cobb County.

Cobb County School District updates Coronavirus guidelines

March 27, 2020March 27, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Following up yesterday’s news about public schools in Georgia remaining closed at least through April 24:

The Cobb County School District on Friday issued its own updated Coronavirus guidelines accordingly, to note that digital learning will continue through the extended closure period.

The exception is the regularly scheduled week of spring break (April 2-6), and here are a couple of bullet points the district is emphasizing for those digital learning days:

All students will be considered present (no students should be marked absent);

No permanent grades should be posted while Cobb Schools are closed. Ongoing feedback, monitoring, and assessment of student progress is encouraged and can be used once Cobb Schools are re-opened and have been provided for all students.

On Wednesday, the Cobb Schools Foundation announced a fundraising drive to purchase digital learning devices for around 1,000 students who need them.

More details can be found at the foundation’s Family Stabilization page.

On Thursday night during a town hall meeting aired across Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp said he’s extending the closure period because “we want people to be comfortable sending their kids back to school” and “we want teachers to be comfortable being in that environment.”

Georgia’s number of positive Coronavirus cases has exceed 1,600, with 546 deaths. Cobb County has 110 positive cases, as of Thursday night.

Several states have cancelled classes for the rest of the year, including Alabama. In his order Thursday, Kemp said he would be making a decision about the fate of the school year in Georgia before the April 24 closure period ends.

Also on Thursday, the Georgia Board of Education approved recommendations by state school superintendent Richard Woods for waivers for local school districts from a number of requirements, including testing, teacher evaluations and course curricula.

The state also has suspended assessment windows for the Georgia Milestones and other mandated tests until further notice.

Cobb’s update Friday stated that “There are still many details regarding these issues that are unanswered at this time. The final resolution of some of those issues will likely need to wait until schools resume normal operation.”

Cobb schools also are continuing weekly student meal pick-up at eight of its campuses, including East Cobb Middle School.

Those pick-up times are Mondays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include five days of breakfast and lunch for students, who must be present tor receive the food.

Food distribution will continue the week of spring break.

Read Cobb’s updating guidelines by clicking here. The school district also has a resource page for helping families in need.

Launching the East Cobb Open for Business Directory

March 26, 2020 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Open for Business While many businesses have closed during the response to COVID-19, we’re keeping an updated list of those that are staying open and have changed their hours and services to serve the public.

Our East Cobb Open for Business Directory can be found here, and we welcome your submissions. E-mail us at: [email protected] and we’ll add it to our directory.

We want East Cobb News readers to connect with local businesses that are working hard during this unprecedented time to keep their doors open.

Many of those businesses listed are restaurants, since they’ve had to adapt on the fly to the closure of dining rooms during the Cobb state of emergency.

But we’ll list all types of locally-run businesses as a community service to bring awareness for part of the vibrant backbone of our community during a time of great duress.

We’ll keep this going during the Cobb state of emergency and beyond, as this recovery will last for many weeks and months.

BREAKING NEWS: Georgia schools closed through April 24

March 26, 2020March 26, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

Distance learning will continue for students in the Cobb County School District and elsewhere in the state.

Gov. Brian Kemp on Thursday extended his K-12 public school closure in Georgia through April 24.

He said in a release issued shortly before noon that while schools may be able to open on April 27, “we ask for continued patience and flexibility since circumstances may change, but we encourage families to stay strong and follow the guidance of federal, state, and local leaders in the weeks ahead.”

On March 12, Cobb schools announced they would be closing, the day after a positive Coronavirus test was reported at Kincaid Elementary School.

Kemp initially urged schools to closed without a mandate, but then declared a statewide shutdown through March 31.

Public colleges and universities in Georgia have closed for the rest of the spring semester.

The Georgia Department of Public Health totals of Coronavirus cases in Georgia was at 1,525 as of noon Thursday, with 48 deaths and 473 hospitalizations.

(You can read the daily status report here; it’s updated at 12 and 7 p.m.)

The number of positive cases of Coronavirus, or COVID-19, is 115. Cobb trails only Fulton (211), Dougherty (156) and DeKalb (129).

Kemp is holding a televised town hall meeting at 8 p.m. Thursday. It can be seen on WSB, 11 Alive, CBS46, Fox 5 and Georgia Public Broadcasting.

East Cobb business and restaurant closings/changes 3.25.20

March 27, 2020March 25, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Rosa's Pizza, East Cobb businesses alcohol compliance checks, East Cobb food scores

We’re keeping a running update on businesses—especially restaurants and retail—that are closing during the newly declared state of emergency in Cobb and/or are changing their hours and services.

Cobb County declares state of emergency through April 15

March 25, 2020March 24, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb state of emergency — *Cobb commissioners practice social distancing while discussing an emergency declaration Tuesday.*

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce on Tuesday declared a state of emergency in the county, limiting hours for non-essential businesses, barring restaurants from dining room service and ordering citizens to “shelter in place” for the next three weeks.

His executive order in response to the Coronavirus pandemic (you can read it here) takes effect at noon on Wednesday and continues through noon on April 15.

That means that public gatherings — inside and outdoors — of more than 10 people are prohibited anywhere in the unincorporated part of Cobb.

The hours for non-essential businesses are restricted from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Restaurants can offer only takeout delivery or curbside pickup services.

Restaurants that are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages can sell them unopened to takeout or curbside customers during the hours they’re allowed to do so on their pouring licenses.

Businesses that are open must maintain social distancing guidelines of having a minimum of six feet of distance between people while they’re in the establishment.

(A list of essential and non-essential businesses as well as the emergency declaration are being posted on the county website.)

The order does not include a curfew or mandatory quarantine, which Boyce has said he does not want to impose.

“We’ve done our best to have informal social distancing,” Boyce said during a special Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday morning. “And as we saw this weekend it’s simply not working.”

Boyce said the declaration could be advised, depending on recommendations from public health officials monitoring the spread of the virus.

“If we need to consider closing all non-essential businesses and tighten other provisions we will do that to protect the residents of this County,” he said in a statement issued by the county.

As of 7 p.m. Tuesday, Cobb had 90 confirmed Coronavirus cases and five of Georgia’s 38 deaths. Statewide, the number of cases has grown to 1,092. Of those confirmed cases, nearly 33 percent have been hospitalized, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Cobb public health officials urged commissioners Tuesday to order a shelter-in-place to slow the spread of the virus in Cobb, which has had one of the highest totals of Coronavirus cases in Georgia, since there’s no vaccine or medication.

They also said medical and health-care capacity needs to be alleviated as the number of cases has grown.

The full declaration also will be posted on the county’s website; once we have it we’ll also link to it here.

Georgia Coronavirus cases top 1,000, Cobb with 86; 32 deaths statewide

March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

The number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in Georgia continues to rise dramatically. As of noon Tuesday, there were 1,026 positive test results across the state, after more than 800 were reported Monday night.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the death toll also has risen, to 32 on Tuesday, up from 25 on Monday.

Cobb County had 86 confirmed Coronavirus cases as of noon Tuesday, and at least five deaths.

The latter figure is according to Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, in a briefing before Cobb commissioners Tuesday morning.

They held a special meeting to discuss a state of emergency declaration. Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has drafted an order that he was expected to formalize Tuesday afternoon.

Boyce didn’t need to get a vote from his colleagues, but wanted them to have a public discussion of the matter.

Memark is calling on Boyce to issue a shelter-in-place order that’s similar to what is in effect in the city of Atlanta.

Under shelter-in-place, most businesses would close, except those deemed essential, and citizens would be ordered to stay at home, except to shop for necessities.

On Monday, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a shelter-in-place for certain at-risk populations and ordered bars and nightclubs closed. But he declined to issue a broader shelter-in-place statewide.

Boyce’s draft order was distributed to commissioners before Tuesday’s meeting but was not made public beforehand.

Food drive update: Piedmont Church; Lassiter PTSA; Senior Services

March 24, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Food drive, Piedmont Church

We’ve noted the student meal services being provided by the Cobb County School District and MUST Ministries, as well as a joint food drive by Mt. Bethel UMC and Johnson Ferry Baptist Church that is ongoing.

MUST reports than in three days its Food Rapid Response served family food boxes to more than 3,500 families.

A few other food drive efforts—including one related to MUST—are noted below. If you know of any other food drive activities going on, let us know and we’ll pass it along. E-mail us: [email protected] and we’ll share it with the community.

On Tuesday afternoons, you can help MUST Ministries with its Food Rapid Response program. Donations can be dropped off between 3-7 p.m. at Piedmont Church (570 Piedmont Road).

As the flyer notes above, this is a joint project with the church as well as the Sprayberry PTSA and the Sprayberry Foundation, and they’ve listed the foods (all non-perishable) that are most needed, as well as where to drop off your donations.

Food pickup is also at the Piedmont Church between 4-6 p.m. Wednesday.

Lassiter Food Pantry

The Lassiter PTSA says its food bank is empty, and it’s one that serves around 60 families in its cluster—including Davis, Garrison Mill and Rocky Mount elementaries and Mabry Middle School.

They’re asking that anyone who wants to donate food drop those items on the porch at 2124 Lassiter Field Drive—it’s a weekly collection for now. The link to make a donation can be found here.

For questions contact Tammy Andress or Shannon Frank at [email protected].

Cobb Senior Services

The Cobb Senior Services agency also is collecting food. If you want to make a donation, you’re asked to call Merline Tippens at 770-528-5355 to to arrange a delivery.

They need “shelf stable foods” than can be heated in a microwave or not at all, and include but are not limited to the following:

Peanut butter, instant oatmeal/grits, dried fruit, chewy granola bars, breakfast bars, applesauce/fruit cocktail, juice boxes, cereal-small, individual boxes, shelf stable milk, chicken/tuna/other canned meats, microwave rice, crackers, canned Soup, canned vegetables, fruit cups, canned fruit, macaroni and cheese cups, dried mashed potatoes (flakes), Spaghetti-Os/ Ravioli.

Also:

Toilet paper, Baby wipes, travel-size toiletries (soap, shampoo, etc)

Kemp limits public gatherings; closes bars and nightclubs

March 23, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Kemp executive order

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday ordered a number of restrictions on public activity across the state, but did not mandate a full “shelter in place” for the overall population that some of his counterparts have enacted.

In a briefing late Monday afternoon, Kemp said he was issuing an executive order limiting public gatherings to 10 or fewer people (unless they meet social distancing guidelines), ordering bars and nightclubs to be closed, and requiring medically fragile people to be quarantined for 14 days.

His latest executive order to combat Coronavirus, or COVID-19, begins at noon Tuesday and continues until noon on April 6.

The “shelter in place” order is for people who live in long-term care homes, those who are being treated for cancer, those with compromised immune systems and individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19.

The new measures, he said, are “intended to ensure the health and safety of Georgians across the state,” he said, reading from prepared remarks. “This fight is not over, but we are in this fight together.”

Kemp also announced that the state income tax filing deadline would be pushed back to July 15 to coincide with the delayed deadline to file federal returns.

No broad ‘shelter in place’

A number of states and localities across the country have imposed “shelter in place” mandates that close all non-essential businesses, and allow citizens to go out only to buy food or in the case of an emergency.

Last week, Kemp said he didn’t want to that, or to order a broad mandate to quarantine or impose curfew.

On Monday, Democratic leaders in the Georgia House sent a letter urging him to issue a 14-day statewide shelter in place order (you can read it here), a request also made by Republican House Speaker David Ralston.

In his Monday briefing, Kemp didn’t refer to those requests.

In his new order, establishments or events with more than 10 people will be allowed only if they practice social distancing requirements of having at least six feet of space between individuals (supermarkets are not included in the order).

His order also gives the Georgia Department of Public Health the power to shut down any businesses, organizations or gathering places—including churches and other houses of worship—that don’t comply with the new restrictions.

“We are all part of the solution,” Kemp said. “If your friends, neighbors or local organizations are not complying, call them out. Or report them to us.”

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb County reverses course, closes parks due to Coronavirus

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb parks closed Coronavirus

After saying over the weekend that public parks would stay open to give citizens a place to escape cabin fever due to Coronavirus, Cobb County government is closing them down.

The closures—which include all outdoor and indoor parks and recreational facilities—are effective immediately and until further notice. They’re being done in the “interest of public health and to encourage social distancing,” according to a message issued Monday afternoon.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt told East Cobb News that park crews were starting the process Monday afternoon, and that “it may take the rest of today and much of tomorrow to post signage” and take other measures to keep the parks closed.

A number of nearby jurisdictions have been closing parks in recent days, including Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Kennesaw.

The National Park Service also has closed the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, which straddles the river in East Cobb and Sandy Springs.

On Saturday, East Cobb Park (photo above) was as busy as a typical early spring weekend day, with people walking (many with dogs), playing in open areas and on playgrounds.

On Friday, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce explained keeping parks open by saying that citizens “want to go somewhere, at least for a little while, where they can have some comfort.”

There was a posting to that effect on Cobb government’s Facebook page over the weekend, although it engendered some critical comments about the wisdom of keeping parks open. That posting has been removed.

The number of confirmed Coronavirus in Cobb rose to 79 on Monday, up from 55 over the weekend, and 772 cases have been confirmed in Georgia. Thus far, 25 people in Georgia have died from the virus, including one at Kennestone Hospital.

Cobb commissioners will meet tomorrow morning in a special called meeting over the Coronavirus situation, and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will be providing a briefing at 5 p.m. Monday, and it can be seen live on the governor’s Facebook page or at the Georgia Public Broadcasting site.

More East Cobb business and restaurant closings 3.23.20

March 23, 2020March 23, 2020 by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Taqueria Tsunami restaurant

We’re compiling this list and will be updating it all day, as businesses continue to close temporarily or change their hours and go to takeout or delivery only.

Much of this figures to change after the governor holds a briefing at 5 p.m. Monday and Cobb commissioners meet Tuesday morning.

If you’ve got information to share about Coronavirus-related closings, cancellations, postponements or other changes in East Cobb, please e-mail us at [email protected].

We’ll be doing a separate post on ongoing food drive updates for the needy, elderly and others.

Closings

Frenchies Modern Nail Care: As of Friday, targeting April 3 reopen date;
Marietta Fish Market: As of Monday;
Cazadores Mexican Restaurant: Both East Cobb locations, as of Monday;
East Cobb Tavern: As of Sunday;
Frankie’s Italian: Closed as of Monday;
Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant: Closed as of Monday;

Changing Hours/Services

Taqueria Tsunami East Cobb: Takeout and curbside delivery only, 4-9 p.m. daily;
Brewsters Neighborhood Bar & Grill: Takeout and curbside delivery only, starting Tuesday through April 6;
Catfish Hox: New hours 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and drive-through service only;
Zama Mexican Cuisine: Open 12-9 p.m., dine-in still open with curbside delivery available;
Chicken Salad Chick: Open 10-5 and curbside pickup is available;
Biscuits and More: Curbside pickup available;
Marietta Antique Mall: New daily hours 12-4 p.m.;
Paradise Grill: Dining room closed but curbside and delivery available;
Asahi Japanese Steakhouse: Open for curbside and takeout from 4-8:30 p.m. daily;
Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q: Curbside pickup is available;

Cobb commissioners to hold special Coronavirus meeting Tuesday

March 23, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt send out word late Monday morning that the Cobb Board of Commissioners will hold a special Coronavirus meeting Tuesday.

That begins at 10:30 a.m. and will include an update on the county’s response to the pandemic and the delivery of services.

The meeting takes place in the BOC meeting room in the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), but the public is being asked to tune in at cobbcounty.org or the county’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

Cobb County Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said in a release issued by Cavitt that “the Board will hear from the Director of the Cobb and Douglas Public Health Department to help us decide how to respond to this unheralded public health crisis.”

The county also has established a hotline designed to answer county-specific questions The number is 770-590-5790 for county operations; if you need health-related answers the state COVID-19 hotline number is 844-442-2681.

Cobb has been on “limited operations status” since Wednesday.

On Friday, Boyce said he was reluctant to shut down businesses or impose curfew or quarantine.

Some of those measures are being undertaken in Smyrna, Kennesaw, Sandy Springs, Roswell and the city of Atlanta.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp also does not want to do that, although other local governments in the state have ordered shutdowns that have been in place in other states and locales.

At noon Monday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported 722 confirmed cases of Coronavirus, or COVID-19 in the state, 79 of them in Cobb County. That trails only Fulton County, which has 145 cases.

The death toll in Georgia from the virus has climbed to 25, and 5.069 people have been tested.

Kemp will be providing a briefing at 5 p.m. Monday, and it can be seen live on the governor’s Facebook page or at the Georgia Public Broadcasting site.

Getting out in East Cobb during a time of social distancing

March 23, 2020March 22, 2020 by Wendy Parker

UPDATED, MONDAY 3:30 P.M.: Cobb County government said Monday it is closing all outdoor parks until further notice.

After being at home for two days, I got out a little bit on Saturday and swung by East Cobb Park.

It was like any other Saturday afternoon with spring-like weather, with a nearly-full parking lot, plenty of people walking, tossing ball on the open lawn and using the playground.

The park was one of the few places in the community where you could see a lot of people congregating together, as many East Cobbers are heeding public health messages to practice social distancing when they’re out.

Driving down Johnson Ferry Road on a Saturday afternoon was also an eerie experience. There was hardly any traffic, and if you wanted to—and I’m not encouraging this, by the way—you could drag race.

There are a good number of stores and restaurants that are open, and so many are now providing services that they hadn’t had before. There’s even curbside service for picking up preorders at Half Price Books at Woodlawn Square.

After a very long and anxious week or so, posting nothing but Coronavirus stories, I’m taking a bit of a break on Sunday. Unless something major happens today, I won’t be posting here. I need to rest up, clear my head and get ready for another busy week of tracking our community’s response to this terrible virus.

I don’t know what the coming days or weeks may bring, but I do appreciate your readership. I hope to be posting some other news soon—there’s a good bit I haven’t been able to get to—and we all need a diversion from the unrelenting gloomy headlines.

We’re probably in for some rougher stuff ahead, but thanks to many of you for reaching out with information, tips and questions about Coronavirus-related topics.

We’re going to try to follow up your suggestions, get answers for your questions and let you know how our community is coming together in a time of great uncertainty.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Georgia Coronavirus Update 3.21.20: 555 cases; 50 in Cobb; 20 deaths

March 21, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

The number of positive Coronavirus cases in Georgia took a big jump again on Saturday, to 550 as of 7 p.m., an increase of 70 over the previous 24 hours.

The number of deaths also surged, from 14 on Friday to 20 on Saturday.

Cobb’s case number is up to 50, up from 48 on Friday and among those testing positive is State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick of East Cobb.

(View the Georgia DPH daily status report; it;s updated at 12 p.m. and 7 p.m.)

The report doesn’t indicate where the new deaths occurred; positive tests for Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Georgia have been recorded in more than 50 counties.

Fulton County has the most cases, with 99, followed by Bartow with 56 and Cobb. Dougherty County has 47 confirmed cases and six deaths as of Friday.

The first of Georgia’s Coronavirus deaths occurred in Cobb; he was a 67-year-old man treated at Kennestone Hospital who had other medical issues.

No other deaths in Cobb have been confirmed.

A total of 3,818 people been tested in Georgia thus far.

National and state-by-state details can be found at The COVID Tracking Project.

Closed East Cobb restaurants seek assistance for workers

March 21, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Drift Fish House and Oyster Bar, East Cobb restaurants workers assistance

Several East Cobb businesses that have closed temporarily due to the Coronavirus response have set up special fundraising drives to help their workers financially during the shutdown.

We’ve listed below what we know about and will be adding to this list; if you know of others please e-mail: [email protected] with the information and we’ll update.

We’ll also be working up a list of restaurants that are still open that are adding curbside and takeout services. Most places we know of have shut dining room service or severely limited it.

Here are the restaurants that have launched GoFundMe appeals:

For now restaurants in unincorporated Cobb are allowed to operate without the limitations that have been imposed in Smyrna, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Alpharetta, Johns Creek and other nearby cities, along with the city of Atlanta.

Both Gov. Brian Kemp and Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce have said they have no plans to shut down businesses or limit their operations beyond public health guidelines regarding social distancing.

Upcoming Cobb government meetings postponed until May

March 21, 2020March 21, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Meetings for the Cobb Board of Commissioners and appointed bodies on planning and zoning matters that were to have taken place through March and in April have been postponed or cancelled.

Here’s what the county put out late this week:

Board of Commissioners work session, 1:30 p.m., Monday, March 23: CANCELED
Board of Commissioners regular meeting, 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 24: CANCELED
Planning Commission zoning hearing, 9 a.m., Tuesday, April 7: POSTPONED UNTIL May 5
Board of Commissioners regular meeting, 9 a.m., Tuesday, April 14
Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA), 1 p.m., Wednesday, April 15: POSTPONED UNTIL May 13
Board of Commissioners zoning hearing, 9 a.m., Tuesday, April 21: POSTPONED UNTIL May 19.

Agenda items will move forward to the next scheduled meeting date.

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick tests positive for Coronavirus

March 20, 2020 by Wendy Parker

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, a Republican from East Cobb, said Friday night she has tested positive for the Coronavirus.

In a Facebook posting, Kirkpatrick said she felt a fever last Saturday and said she immediately began self-quarantine in what she called “COMPLETE isolation.”

A retired orthopedic surgeon, Kirkpatrick said she called her doctor and is feeling fine, but took a test and the results came back positive.

“I have followed the strict protocol recommended by [Georgia] DPH and am comfortable that I have not put anyone at risk,” she said in her message, adding that she’s following the state health agency’s instructions to quarantine for another week.

“We will not be out and about until we have completed the protocol.”

Kirkpatrick is the third member of the Georgia Senate to have tested positive for Coronavirus, or COVID-19.

All 236 members of the Georgia legislature were ordered to self-isolate until March 30 after State Sen. Brandon Beach of North Fulton, who also had been screened for the virus over the weekend, attended Monday’s special legislative session called by Gov. Brian Kemp following his declaration of a statewide public health emergency.

More than 30 State House members and seven senators were absent from those proceedings due to self-quarantine.

Beach been criticized by colleagues and the governor for showing up for the session after his screening. He was awaiting the test results but said his doctor’s initial diagnosis was negative.

Kirkpatrick told her Facebook following that “although I am in the at-risk age group, I am blessed to be very healthy and thankful that I am recovering without complications. I will be happy to have immunity to this awful virus.”

Earlier on Friday, she said she and her staff were working from home, urged constituents to heed the advice of public health officials and provided the following information:

Georgia has a new hotline number for Covid-19 questions, 844-442-2681. There are some official websites that are useful as follows:

For health info:
CDC.gov and DPH.georgia.gov.

Governor’s office:
Gov.georgia.gov

Schools including meal info:
cobbk12.org and Fultonschools.org

Business:
Unemployment- dol.georgia.gov
SBA loans- sba.gov

Insurance:
OCI.ga.gov

Emergency needs:
MUSTministries.org
Unitedwayatlanta.org

Please continue social distancing, surface cleaning and hand washing. If you are sick, stay home!

Boyce: ‘No intention’ to close Cobb businesses; parks staying open

March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 by Wendy Parker

In a video message Friday, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said he’s not inclined to declare a state of emergency in the county, even though two Cobb cities have done that.

The City of Smyrna has declared a state of emergency starting at 8 p.m. Friday until April 3, prohibiting gatherings of 10 people or more, ordering certain businesses to close and forbidding restaurants from providing dining room service.

The City of Kennesaw also has declared a state of emergency, though no businesses are being forced to close.

The day after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he will not ask businesses to close, or to impose a statewide curfew or quarantine, Boyce echoed the same sentiments for Cobb County.

“I have no intention of asking the board [county commission] to get together to require businesses to close,” he said. “If we give you the facts as to what this virus does and what we need to do to mitigate it, you’ll take the necessary measures to do that.

“I don’t think we have to close businesses for business owners to see that they have to make necessary adjustments to do things like takeout service, or to spread out the distance between customers so they don’t interact with each other.

“If in fact we think the virus is transmitted in a way that requires us to totally close the businesses, that’s something the governor will probably institute, or the president of the United States.”

Boyce said they have access to more information than he does, and urged citizens to get behind them.

He also said Cobb parks will be remaining open. It’s one of the few components of county government that isn’t being closed or limited to due to “limited operations status” that went into effect on Wednesday.

“People are simply going to use those parks,” he said. “That’s just human nature. They’re going to get out of their houses, they’re getting cabin fever. They want to go somewhere, at least for a little while, where they can have some comfort.”

He said if something should happen at a park, “we would have a presence there” to address whatever the issue might be.

Cobb commissioners meetings for Monday and Tuesday have been postponed, and Cobb zoning meetings for April have been postponed to May.

Cobb’s positive Coronavirus case total is now at 47, with one of 14 deaths in the state, as Georgia’s case number jumped to 485, nearly 50 percent higher than Thursday.

As for testing for the Coronavirus locally, Boyce said Cobb doesn’t have the number of test kits available to match the number of people who may have the virus. He didn’t specify a figure.

In his update on Thursday, Kemp said the emphasis would be on testing elderly and ill citizens, those who’ve shown symptoms and health care and medical professionals.

Boyce urged Cobb citizens to “take personal responsibility” to mitigate the spread of the virus, including social distancing, staying home if they’re sick and following other hygiene guidelines.

He said starting Monday he would be working from a Cobb emergency management operations venue to coordinate responses to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Cobb Community Foundation launches COVID-19 response fund

March 20, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Community Foundation response fund

Submitted information:

Cobb Community Foundation (CCF), today announced it is establishing the Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund. This charitable fund will provide flexible resources to non-profit organizations serving Cobb and meeting critical needs either arising from or exacerbated by the novel coronavirus. According to President and CEO, Shari Martin, the organization’s previous focus on fundraising for Cobb Community Opportunity Grants, inspired by the results of last year’s Cobb Human Services Needs Assessment commissioned by CCF, is taking a back seat to the current crisis.

“We are all in unchartered territory. We don’t know what’s ahead, but we know that as a community foundation, it’s our role to build and deploy resources to help our community get through this relatively unscathed, or at least as unscathed as possible,” she says. CCF has shared on its blog, throughout social media, and in its newsletter information about many of the organizations that are at the forefront of caring for Cobb’s most vulnerable populations in the midst of COVID-19. Martin says, “For many in our community, those and many other organizations are that domino that keeps all of the others from falling, and because more of our community will need their help, now more than ever, these organizations will need our help.”

Board member, Kim Gresh, agrees. “There’s no doubt that this is the right thing to do.” Gresh, owner of S.A. White Oil Company, First Vice Chair of the Foundation’s board and chair of the organization’s Events Committee, says that the Foundation has decided to cancel this year’s Partners in Philanthropy event, opting instead to focus the budgeted money where it will be most needed. “In the environment we are in, it just makes more sense to use that money to help the organizations that are out there helping people in our community stay afloat.” Martin agrees. “The grant checks are much more important to grant recipients than the fanfare.”

Al Martin, Regional External Affairs Manager for Georgia Power Company, serves on the board of Cobb Community Foundation and also chairs its Grants and Scholarships Committee. “Anyone can give to this Fund and know that, other than credit card fees which don’t come to us, 100% of their contribution will be distributed to non-profits meeting critical needs.” According to Mr. Martin, the process to receive a grant is going to be quick and painless. “These organizations have enough to take care of without having to fill out some long application.”

In addition to offering an opportunity to contribute to the Fund, CCF is also urging its own donors to look for opportunities to support local nonprofits currently addressing critical needs, organizations such as Sweetwater Mission, MUST Ministries, Center for Family Resources, Good Samaritan Health Center of Cobb, The Zone, and others, by making direct contributions. General contributions provide the greatest amount of flexibility for non-profits, which is particularly important at a time when needs are rapidly changing.

“Non-profits are not only dealing with more clients with more needs, they are also having to deal with postponed events,” Shari Martin says. “They are having to handle more with much less. The Cobb COVID-19 Response Fund will help to replace those lost revenues, and then some.”

Details on how nonprofits might request and access general operating resources from the Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund will be announced in the coming days. For more information and to donate, go to cobbfoundation.org.

Georgia Coronavirus cases swell to 430 with 13 deaths

March 20, 2020March 20, 2020 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Commissioners Coronavirus meeting

Here’s Friday’s daily status report from the Georgia Department of Public Health (it’s updated twice daily at 12 and 7 p.m.), and it bears out what Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday: The number of Coronavirus cases is going to continue to jump.

UPDATED, 7:50 P.M.: The number of Georgia cases is now 480, with 14 deaths; Cobb’s total is 48 cases and one death.

On Friday afternoon that number was 430, up from 287 on Thursday, and the number of deaths rose by three, from 10 to 13 in a 24-hour period.

Cobb County has the second-largest number of cases in Georgia. Friday’s total was 45, up from 37 on Thursday.

Another 500 or so test results statewide are part of those figures, according to DPH: 2,386 as of noon Friday, compared to 1,861.

Readers have been asking where specifically in counties these cases are taking place, but the DPH numbers aren’t that granular. As soon as we get more information like that, we’ll pass that along.

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