Here is the latest on the coronavirus for April 2nd.
Below is an archive for April 1
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At 11Alive News, our coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit the 11Alive coronavirus page for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about Georgia specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world here. Have a question? Text it to us at 404-885-7600.
State and federal officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are continually monitoring the spread of the virus. They are also working hand-in-hand with the World Health Organization to track the spread around the world and to stop it.
We will continue to track the most important coronavirus elements relating to Georgia on this page. Refresh often for new information.
Key Facts:
- 154 deaths from the novel coronavirus in Georgia
- 4,748 confirmed cases across the state
- Gov. Kemp has ordered all public schools in the state to close through the end of the school year
- Public Health Emergency remains in effect
- Shelter in place ordered for all of the state
Wednesday, April 1
154 dead as COVID-19 cases jumps to more than 4,700
The number of cases of coronavirus in the state has grown again to 4,748. There are now 154 people dead from the virus with another 1,013 people hospitalized.
Fulton County continues to lead with the most cases in the state, with 638 cases reported and 20 deaths. However, the virus is not showing signs of slowing in hard-hit Dougherty County, where there are now 490 cases and 29 deaths being reported.
Both DeKalb and Cobb have also crossed a grim threshold, with each county now reporting more than 300 cases each. Gwinnett County has more than 250 cases. Meanwhile, Bartow, Carroll and Clayton counties are each reporting more than 100 cases.
County - Cases - Deaths
Fulton 638 20
Dougherty 490 29
DeKalb 373 5
Cobb 304 15
Gwinnett 257 6
Bartow 147 4
Carroll 133 2
Clayton 128 5
Henry 95 2
Lee 94 7
Cherokee 85 4
Hall 71 0
Floyd 70 2
Douglas 56 2
Clarke 54 7
Forsyth 50 1
Fayette 48 4
Rockdale 47 2
Terrell 46 2
Houston 44 5
Coweta 42 2
Richmond 41 0
Chatham 39 2
Mitchell 39 1
Sumter 38 3
Early 34 1
Newton 34 0
Paulding 33 0
Tift 28 0
Worth 28 1
Columbia 24 0
Lowndes 24 1
Bibb 23 1
Muscogee 22 0
Colquitt 21 1
Barrow 20 2
Crisp 19 0
Glynn 19 0
Troup 19 1
Gordon 18 1
Oconee 17 0
Spalding 17 1
Polk 16 0
Laurens 14 0
Thomas 14 0
Whitfield 14 1
Walton 13 0
Ware 12 2
Dawson 11 0
Calhoun 10 1
Dooly 10 0
Jackson 10 0
Bryan 9 1
Coffee 9 0
Burke 8 0
Butts 8 0
Decatur 8 0
Greene 8 0
Baldwin 7 1
Liberty 7 0
Lumpkin 7 0
Meriwether 7 0
Peach 7 1
Pickens 7 1
Pierce 7 0
Bacon 6 0
Fannin 6 0
Haralson 6 0
Monroe 6 0
Upson 6 0
Camden 5 0
Clay 5 0
Effingham 5 0
Franklin 5 0
Irwin 5 0
Murray 5 0
Seminole 5 0
Stephens 5 0
Turner 5 0
Baker 4 1
Catoosa 4 0
Jones 4 0
Lamar 4 0
Lincoln 4 0
Miller 4 0
Pulaski 4 0
Randolph 4 0
Schley 4 0
Warren 4 0
Washington 4 0
Banks 3 0
Ben Hill 3 0
Chattooga 3 0
Dodge 3 0
Harris 3 0
Hart 3 0
Macon 3 0
Madison 3 1
Mcduffie 3 0
Toombs 3 0
White 3 0
Berrien 2 0
Brooks 2 0
Bulloch 2 0
Chattahoochee 2 0
Grady 2 0
Habersham 2 0
Heard 2 1
Jasper 2 0
Jefferson 2 0
Morgan 2 0
Pike 2 0
Rabun 2 0
Screven 2 0
Tattnall 2 0
Taylor 2 0
Twiggs 2 0
Walker 2 0
Wilkes 2 0
Appling 1 0
Bleckley 1 0
Candler 1 0
Charlton 1 0
Clinch 1 0
Cook 1 0
Dade 1 0
Emanuel 1 0
Gilmer 1 0
Jenkins 1 0
Johnson 1 0
Lanier 1 0
Long 1 0
Mcintosh 1 0
Oglethorpe 1 0
Putnam 1 0
Stewart 1 0
Talbot 1 0
Union 1 0
Webster 1 0
Wheeler 1 0
Wilcox 1 0
Wilkinson 1 0
Unknown 485 1
Gov. Brian Kemp to sign statewide-shelter-in-place order, will keep K-12 schools in online learning through end of year
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he plans to sign two orders. The first will require all residents to shelter-in-place from Friday, April 3 through April 13. He also will sign an order closing all K-12 public schools through the end of the year.
Essential businesses, he said, will remain open and that the order will be presented to the public on Thursday.
The move comes as the statewide - and nationwide - fight to gain control on the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus intensifies.
"Tomorrow, I will sign a statewide shelter-in-place order which will go into effect on Friday and run through April 13, 2020," Kemp said. "This date is in line with our public health emergency order."
He said online learning will continue for K-12 students.
"I want to thank all of the educators and superintendents who that stayed in touch with us through this process to make the best of a tough situation," he said.
Watch Kemp discuss the shelter-in-place order:
Watch as Kemp announces all K-12 schools will remain in online learning through the end of the year:
Gov. Brian Kemp to update state's COVID-19 response
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the Dept. of Public Health (DPH), Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), and the Georgia Guard are providing an update to the state's COVID-19 response at 4 p.m.
Kemp will be joined by Georgia DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Homer Bryson, and Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden from the Georgia State Capitol.
All Fulton County residents ordered to shelter in place, violators can face fines and/or jail
While many cities within the county are already under orders to stay at home, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners are now ordering all residents in the county to shelter in place.
The order says resident are only allowed to leave "to provide, receive, or engage in essential services or activities." The order also permits those who work for essential businesses and perform essential governmental functions to leave their place of residence. The order will go into effect immediately.
As of Noon on Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health is reporting more than 600 confirmed cases of the virus in Fulton - the most of any county in the state. Already, 19 people have died in the county.
S. Elizabeth Ford, M.D., M.B.A, Interim District Health Director of the Fulton County Board of Health issued the Administrative Order for Public Health Control Measures Related to COVID-19 during the Fulton County Board of Commissioners Meeting on Wednesday.
“It is my hope that this Administrative Order enhances our efforts to keep Fulton County residents safe, and assists in flattening the COVID-19 curve,” Ford said.
They said violations of this order will constitute a misdemeanor and "subject the violator to penalties and fines of up to $1,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail per offense."
FULL STORY: Fulton County issues shelter in place order; violators could get $1,000 fine or up to year in jail
Confirmed cases in Georgia climb to 4,638 with 139 deaths
The Georgia Department of Health announced new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. As of Noon, there are 4,638 confirmed cases of the virus and 139 deaths reported. This is up from the 4,117 confirmed cases and 125 deaths that they announced on Tuesday evening.
Of the 4,638 confirmed cases, 624 are in Fulton, 480 are in Dougherty, 365 are in DeKalb, 293 are in Cobb and 250 are in Gwinnett. In all, there are cases reported in 139 counties (516 cases are listed as unknown counties). For a breakdown by county, view the 11Alive interactive map.
They said 952 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
Of the confirmed cases, 1 percent are between the ages of 0-17, while 58 percent are 18-59 years old, 35 percent are over 60 and 6 percent are unknown. 51 percent are female, and 46 percent are male.
In total, 18,226 tests were conducted at commercial labs, reporting 4,281 positive cases. At the Department of Public Health Labratory, 2,100 tests were conducted with 357 positive results.
County - Cases - Deaths
Fulton 624 19
Dougherty 480 27
Dekalb 365 4
Cobb 293 15
Gwinnett 250 4
Bartow 144 4
Carroll 131 1
Clayton 122 3
Lee 94 7
Henry 90 2
Cherokee 83 4
Hall 69 0
Floyd 60 2
Douglas 55 2
Clarke 51 5
Fayette 48 4
Forsyth 48 1
Terrell 46 2
Rockdale 45 2
Coweta 42 2
Richmond 41 0
Mitchell 38 1
Sumter 37 2
Chatham 36 2
Houston 35 4
Early 34 1
Newton 32 0
Paulding 32 0
Worth 28 1
Columbia 24 0
Lowndes 24 1
Tift 24 0
Bibb 22 0
Muscogee 21 0
Barrow 20 2
Colquitt 20 1
Troup 19 1
Glynn 18 0
Gordon 18 1
Crisp 17 0
Oconee 17 0
Polk 16 0
Spalding 16 0
Laurens 14 0
Walton 12 0
Dawson 11 0
Thomas 11 0
Calhoun 10 1
Dooly 10 0
Ware 10 1
Whitfield 10 1
Coffee 9 0
Jackson 9 0
Bryan 8 1
Burke 8 0
Butts 8 0
Decatur 8 0
Greene 8 0
Lumpkin 7 0
Meriwether 7 0
Peach 7 1
Pickens 7 1
Bacon 6 0
Baldwin 6 1
Monroe 6 0
Seminole 6 0
Clay 5 0
Effingham 5 0
Fannin 5 0
Franklin 5 0
Haralson 5 0
Liberty 5 0
Murray 5 0
Pierce 5 0
Randolph 5 0
Stephens 5 0
Upson 5 0
Baker 4 1
Camden 4 0
Catoosa 4 0
Hart 4 0
Jones 4 0
Lamar 4 0
Lincoln 4 0
Miller 4 0
Pulaski 4 0
Schley 4 0
Turner 4 0
Warren 4 0
Washington 4 0
Banks 3 0
Ben Hill 3 0
Chattooga 3 0
Dodge 3 0
Harris 3 0
Heard 3 1
Irwin 3 0
Madison 3 1
Mcduffie 3 0
White 3 0
Berrien 2 0
Brooks 2 0
Bulloch 2 0
Chattahoochee 2 0
Habersham 2 0
Jasper 2 0
Jefferson 2 0
Macon 2 0
Morgan 2 0
Pike 2 0
Rabun 2 0
Screven 2 0
Tattnall 2 0
Taylor 2 0
Toombs 2 0
Twiggs 2 0
Walker 2 0
Wilkes 2 0
Wilkinson 2 0
Appling 1 0
Bleckley 1 0
Candler 1 0
Charlton 1 0
Clinch 1 0
Cook 1 0
Dade 1 0
Emanuel 1 0
Gilmer 1 0
Grady 1 0
Jenkins 1 0
Johnson 1 0
Long 1 0
Mcintosh 1 0
Oglethorpe 1 0
Stewart 1 0
Talbot 1 0
Webster 1 0
Wheeler 1 0
Wilcox 1 0
Unknown 516 2
Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency debunk social media post
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency took to Facebook on Wednesday to let residents know that a post going around on social media was not accurate.
"If you see this going around, rest assured that it is FALSE. There is NO national quarantine and that is NOT the purpose of the Stafford Act," they wrote. "If you're curious, you can read the Stafford Act at the link below."
Costco, Home Depot among stores limiting number of customers allowed inside at once
The Home Depot announced early Wednesday morning it would begin limiting the number of customers allowed into stores at one time, among a number of changes it says are being taken to deter high traffic and promote social distancing at stores.
In response to 11Alive asking for the exact number, the company said: "For most of our stores, the customer limit is 100 customers at a time. (For context, our stores average over 100,000 square feet sprawled across a single level, so this provides less than one person per 1000 square feet or about a seven-foot radius)."
Meanwhile, Costco says it will temporarily start limiting the number of people who can enter its stores. Starting Friday, only two people will be allowed in for every membership card that is presented, according to the company's website. That means parents who normally haul their whole family to the store may have to leave some of them at home.
Cumming mayor rescinds social distance order just hours after signing it
Mayor Troy Brumbalow of Cumming wrote Wednesday around 3 a.m. that he would be rescinding the social distancing order that took effect at midnight.
The mayor writing that, "while the intent of the order was to protect the public from the spread of COVID-19, it is obvious that a large portion of our public doesn't want government mandating the recommendations of public health officials."
A portion of the social distancing order included the appointment of special policemen to help enforce the order. Under the city charter, the mayor can appoint special policemen during times of emergency.
Things to know Wednesday
- Atlanta Fire department monitoring firefighters' temperatures
- The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office says a second jail employee - a supervisor - has tested positive for COVID-19.
- The Arbor Terrace at Cascade senior living facility confirms it is handling seven confirmed COVID-19 cases.
- Atlanta Children's Shelter closed until April 24
- Employee tests positive at Stewart Detention Center
- The city of East Point approved a fourth emergency ordinance this week.
- Some prisoners may be released sooner than they expected amid the coronavirus outbreak and the state’s efforts to combat the virus.
- US Rep. Doug Collins urges GDOT to loosen regulations, provide guidelines for truckers
- Georgia National Guard to be deployed to nursing homes with COVID-19 cases
- Gov. Brian Kemp announced a laboratory surge capacity plan to quickly increase the availability of testing for COVID-19 in Georgia.
- Georgia Tech clears out labs, to donate a truckload of PPE for healthcare workers
- Atlanta mayor announces hazard pay policy for 'front-line' city employees
MORE CORONAVIRUS HEADLINES: