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The Georgia Department of Health announced new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. As of 7 p.m., there are 30,737 confirmed cases of the virus and 1,317 deaths reported. Scroll to read more.
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.
RELATED: 'Sensational' Forbes article about Georgians' risk for COVID-19 deleted after raising concerns
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.
Key Facts:
- There have been 1,317 deaths reported in Georgia, with the state's earliest reported death on March 5. That's an increase of 12 deaths since the noon report, and 23 since this time last night.
- There are now 30,737 cases confirmed in Georgia, with the state's earliest reported case on Feb. 1. That's an increase of 175 cases from noon and 898 more cases from this time last night.
- There have been 5,785 total patients hospitalized in Georgia during the pandemic
- Gov. Brian Kemp's statewide shelter-in-place order expired at midnight April 30. However, his order for the elderly and medically-fragile remains in effect until June 12.
- All public schools in Georgia closed through the end of the school year
- Public Health Emergency remains in effect until June 12
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
12 more deaths, 175 additional cases of coronavirus confirmed since noon report
State data shows that 12 more people have died from the coronavirus since the public health department released its noon report. There were 175 additional cases reported, as well.
As of 7 p.m. Wednesday, there were 1,317 deaths reported, and 30,737 confirmed cases of the virus.
Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb and Hall are now reporting the most cases of the virus, though DeKalb now has a higher rate of cases per 100,000 people for metro Atlanta counties.
COUNTY - CASES - DEATHS
Fulton 3251 132
DeKalb 2357 59
Gwinnett 2222 81
Cobb 1999 105
Hall 1914 27
Dougherty 1555 126
Clayton 845 33
Henry 546 14
Cherokee 544 16
Richmond 429 15
Carroll 389 15
Sumter 385 29
Habersham 376 12
Bibb 367 14
Douglas 363 11
Bartow 359 32
Forsyth 356 10
Muscogee 348 11
Lee 338 22
Mitchell 336 31
Chatham 282 12
Houston 276 14
Baldwin 263 10
Coweta 247 4
Upson 245 23
Newton 232 8
Rockdale 223 7
Spalding 223 11
Early 220 25
Thomas 219 22
Paulding 212 10
Barrow 197 5
Colquitt 197 10
Terrell 193 21
Fayette 188 11
Crisp 178 6
Worth 175 12
Clarke 174 13
Columbia 170 5
Lowndes 170 4
Troup 168 5
Randolph 167 20
Butts 162 17
Coffee 159 8
Floyd 152 11
Ware 144 13
Walton 143 5
Tift 136 6
Whitfield 135 6
Dooly 133 11
Gordon 118 13
Jackson 117 3
Hancock 110 2
Calhoun 109 4
Decatur 105 2
Stephens 91 1
Wilcox 90 12
Burke 89 3
Gilmer 83 0
White 83 1
Macon 81 3
Appling 78 9
Grady 75 4
Dawson 72 1
Lumpkin 72 1
Turner 71 10
Laurens 70 1
Glynn 68 1
Oconee 67 0
Brooks 64 7
Johnson 64 2
Polk 64 0
Peach 61 2
Walker 61 0
Harris 60 2
Meriwether 59 1
Pierce 58 3
Bryan 57 4
Greene 55 5
Catoosa 52 0
Oglethorpe 51 3
Putnam 51 5
McDuffie 50 4
Washington 46 1
Bulloch 42 2
Wilkinson 41 2
Pike 40 2
Lamar 39 1
Liberty 39 0
Effingham 38 1
Marion 37 1
Toombs 37 3
Ben Hill 36 0
Monroe 35 4
Murray 35 1
Camden 34 1
Elbert 33 0
Fannin 33 1
Pulaski 33 1
Banks 32 0
Dodge 32 1
Seminole 32 2
Union 32 1
Cook 31 1
Haralson 31 2
Jones 31 0
Miller 30 0
Morgan 30 0
Bacon 29 1
Pickens 29 2
Baker 28 2
Telfair 28 0
Clay 27 3
Madison 27 1
Jasper 26 0
Stewart 26 0
Wilkes 26 0
Franklin 25 1
Talbot 24 1
Brantley 22 2
Emanuel 22 0
Jeff Davis 22 1
Bleckley 21 0
Irwin 20 1
Towns 20 1
Berrien 19 0
Crawford 19 0
Taylor 18 2
Atkinson 17 1
Dade 17 1
Jefferson 17 1
Jenkins 17 1
Clinch 16 0
Screven 16 1
Chattooga 15 2
Hart 15 0
Schley 15 1
Heard 14 1
Charlton 13 0
Rabun 13 1
Warren 13 0
Wayne 13 0
Chattahoochee 12 0
Lincoln 12 0
Lanier 10 1
Webster 10 2
Tattnall 9 0
Twiggs 8 0
Candler 7 0
Quitman 6 1
Echols 5 0
Evans 5 0
Long 5 0
McIntosh 5 0
Wheeler 5 0
Treutlen 4 0
Montgomery 2 0
Taliaferro 1 0
Unknown 528 0
Non-Georgia Resident 1017 18
Georgia still seeing growth in COVID-19 cases, CDC report shows
As the state continues to push on with reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that while there are improvements in some parts of the state hit by the virus, there are some areas where the spread of the virus appears to be growing.
The new data, compiled for the CDC's report for the week of April 30, comes as Georgia relaxes restrictions on business operations and movement in the state.
Photos show large crowds, employees working without masks at restaurants
Many viewers have reached out to 11Alive to say that restaurants don’t seem to be complying with the governor’s guidelines.
Many others also said they feel like restaurants aren't following the state's 39 guidelines. Viewers sent us photos showing people sitting close to each other and patios where people are congregating.
The state's requirements include no more than ten patrons per 500 square feet of public space, all employees must wear face coverings at all times, there needs to be at least six feet of separation from seating to seating and no more than six people at a table.
Gov. Kemp to address citizens on Thursday
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp will address the citizens of Georgia on Thursday, his office announced. Joining the governor will be Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency Director Homer Bryson, Georgia National Guard Adjutant General Tom Carden, and Augusta University President Dr. Brooks Keel.
The event will take place at 4 p.m. in the State Capitol and will be streamed live on 11Alive.com and on the 11Alive YouTube channel.
Dragon Con still plans to move forward despite legislation regarding permits
Recent legislation by the Atlanta City Council amidst the coronavirus pandemic caught the attention of event organizers planning large gatherings this year.
The newly-passed legislation ratified the Department of Parks and Recreation and Mayor’s Office of Special Events to continue to not accept special events permits.
It says the offices "shall continue to accept no new applications for permits or sub-permits for or relating to events to be held in the City of Atlanta" and that if organizers for an event already have one on file, they will be automatically applied for a new one.
Dragon Con, currently scheduled Sept. 3-7, 2020, is one of the largest science fiction and fantasy conventions in the world and draws more than 80,000 attendees annually to downtown Atlanta.
Cobb County to reopen parks
Cobb PARKS will reopen their outdoor facilities on Monday, May 11, they said on Wednesday. Trails and passive parks have already been open to the public, so this will reopen the remainder of the county's outdoor parks. Officials say the following restrictions will remain in place:
- Playgrounds and restrooms at park facilities will remain closed.
- No organized athletic activities will be allowed.
- Park Rangers and PARKS personnel will monitor the parks to ensure park patrons maintain proper social distancing. Flagrant violations could result in the closure of part or all of that facility.
- Indoor facilities, such as aquatic centers and arts centers, will remain closed.
Gwinnett Schools reverse course on plan to have teachers return
On Friday, May 1, Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) released its plan for employees to return to work following six weeks of online learning and working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
GCPS leaders received feedback on the plan from teachers and others who shared concerns about returning to schools, which led district leaders to adjust the return-to-work sites plan.
Administrators, office staff, custodians and school nutrition program staff will continue, as planned, to return to campus.
Teachers and other staff will no longer be required to report back to campus as previously announced.
The district said principals will work with teachers and other staff to arrange times for them to return to the school to close down their classrooms or work spaces and complete other necessary tasks.
Piedmont Healthcare launches 2 clinical trials to study COVID-19 breathing therapies
Peidmont Healthcare is leading a new effort aimed at lessening the impact of a patient's ability to breathe while battling COVID-19.
Dr. Amy Case, medical director of pulmonary and critical care research with Piedmont Healthcare, called two new clinical trials a possible silver lining.
The first trial is called "breathe." Researchers plan to use the drug Gimsilumab to target lung inflammation, which can flare up in severe COVID-19 cases. The goal of that trial is to decrease the instances of inflammation and minimize damage to the lungs. In the second trail, called Apex-19, the non-drug treatment would seek to improve breathing function by having patients lay on their stomachs during parts of the day to help increase their oxygen levels.
Clayton County Public Schools to lease nearly 40,000 laptops for students
The Clayton County Board of Education unanimously voted earlier this week to approve a proposal to accelerate the district’s Extending Learning Beyond the Classroom initiative for the 2020-2021 school year.
The program’s acceleration will allow the district to lease 38,000 new Chromebooks for students in 3rd through 12th grades, a nearly $37 million investment over five years, the district said.
As CCPS works to secure the devices for the 2020-2021 school year, the school system says it will focus additional funds from external organizations toward acquiring Wi-Fi devices for students without internet access, they said.
Numbers show DeKalb has more cases per 100K residents than Fulton
The Georgia Department of Health announced new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday. As of Noon, there are 30,562 confirmed cases of the virus and 1,305 deaths reported. This is up from the 29,839 confirmed cases and 1,294 deaths that they announced on Tuesday evening.
Of the 30,562 confirmed cases, 3239 are in Fulton (294.67 per 100K residents), 2353 are in DeKalb (296.66 per 100K), 2198 are in Gwinnett (226.33 per 100K), 1981 are in Cobb (250.57 per 100K) and 1882 are in Hall (912.05 per 100K). Dougherty has 1554 cases (1728.49 cases per 100K). For a breakdown by county, view the 11Alive interactive map.
They said 5,709 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
COUNTY - CASES - CASES PER 100K - DEATHS - HOSPITALIZATIONS
Fulton 3239 294.67 130 586
DeKalb 2353 296.66 59 429
Gwinnett 2198 226.33 79 399
Cobb 1981 250.57 102 504
Hall 1882 912.05 27 235
Dougherty 1554 1728.49 126 315
Non-Georgia Resident 1043 0 18 68
Clayton 839 275.23 33 143
Unknown 547 0 41
Cherokee 546 204.79 16 95
Henry 543 226.38 14 70
Richmond 428 211.63 15 120
Carroll 390 324.68 15 76
Sumter 385 1309.57 29 103
Habersham 372 812.23 13 54
Bibb 363 238.58 13 101
Bartow 356 321.38 31 123
Douglas 354 233.04 11 102
Forsyth 354 140.19 10 45
Muscogee 344 179.52 9 68
Lee 333 1111.07 22 47
Mitchell 333 1509.79 33 71
Chatham 279 95.49 12 68
Houston 271 172.57 14 80
Baldwin 262 589.72 10 51
Coweta 245 161.18 4 39
Upson 244 928.57 23 26
Newton 230 204.71 8 38
Spalding 226 327.01 11 38
Early 224 2207.77 27 14
Rockdale 221 232.73 6 53
Paulding 212 122.87 9 53
Thomas 206 463.64 21 47
Colquitt 196 431.78 10 13
Fayette 194 165.04 10 36
Barrow 193 223.42 5 50
Terrell 193 2279.44 21 34
Crisp 177 794.11 6 36
Clarke 174 134.07 13 31
Worth 174 863.87 12 33
Columbia 170 107.17 5 29
Lowndes 170 144.22 4 31
Randolph 166 2457.8 20 28
Troup 165 234.33 5 44
Butts 161 639.55 17 17
Coffee 156 362.44 8 45
Floyd 150 150.13 11 39
Ware 144 401.64 13 40
Walton 139 145.07 5 21
Tift 136 333.09 5 37
Whitfield 134 128.02 6 17
Dooly 132 985.07 11 34
Gordon 117 201.55 13 29
Jackson 116 155.29 3 22
Hancock 110 1342.61 2 11
Calhoun 109 1725.5 5 7
Decatur 103 391.31 2 11
Wilcox 90 1023.89 10 15
Burke 88 393.88 3 17
Stephens 88 334.24 1 21
White 83 261.35 1 19
Macon 81 623.65 3 29
Gilmer 80 254.64 0 13
Appling 77 414.85 9 15
Dawson 71 262.76 1 13
Turner 71 879.15 10 11
Lumpkin 69 204.13 1 13
Laurens 68 143.78 1 13
Oconee 67 160.53 0 9
Glynn 66 76.7 1 10
Grady 65 264.87 4 19
Johnson 64 662.46 2 10
Brooks 63 400.58 7 5
Polk 62 142.59 0 11
Harris 61 175.73 2 10
Peach 61 222.83 2 16
Walker 61 87.63 0 1
Meriwether 58 275.93 1 9
Pierce 58 296.75 3 15
Bryan 57 145.64 4 18
Greene 55 293.85 5 17
Catoosa 52 75.61 0 5
Oglethorpe 51 334.65 3 10
Putnam 51 233.04 5 10
McDuffie 49 226.88 4 15
Washington 45 221.65 1 4
Bulloch 43 54.11 2 9
Wilkinson 41 459.69 2 14
Lamar 40 206.75 1 4
Pike 40 212.09 2 7
Liberty 39 63 0 11
Effingham 38 59.35 1 11
Marion 37 446.16 1 8
Toombs 37 137.12 3 9
Ben Hill 36 216.28 0 3
Murray 35 86.93 1 5
Camden 34 63.05 1 6
Elbert 33 174.19 0 3
Pulaski 33 302.95 1 7
Dodge 32 156.98 1 7
Fannin 32 121.58 1 4
Union 32 126.31 1 10
Banks 31 155.14 0 7
Haralson 31 100.9 2 8
Jones 31 108.43 0 4
Miller 31 537.82 0 1
Monroe 31 111.8 4 7
Seminole 31 380.84 2 7
Morgan 30 156.76 0 3
Bacon 29 254.3 1 4
Cook 29 166.31 1 5
Pickens 29 86.49 2 8
Telfair 28 178.98 0 5
Baker 27 866.5 2 8
Madison 27 89.47 1 5
Jasper 26 183.11 0 4
Wilkes 26 259.64 0 5
Clay 25 875.66 3 4
Franklin 25 107.16 1 5
Stewart 25 407.9 0 7
Talbot 24 389.74 1 11
Brantley 22 114.57 2 1
Emanuel 22 97.07 0 3
Jeff Davis 22 145.23 1 4
Bleckley 21 163.58 0 0
Irwin 20 212.02 1 2
Towns 20 166.2 1 7
Berrien 19 98.57 0 1
Crawford 19 155.38 0 4
Taylor 18 226.19 2 8
Dade 17 105.19 1 3
Jenkins 17 198.23 1 4
Atkinson 16 192.08 1 5
Jefferson 16 104.49 1 3
Screven 16 115.11 1 7
Chattooga 15 60.57 2 3
Clinch 15 225.36 0 2
Schley 15 284.36 1 7
Hart 14 53.63 0 0
Heard 14 113.18 1 4
Charlton 13 98.11 0 3
Rabun 13 76.53 1 5
Warren 13 249.52 0 3
Wayne 13 43.37 0 2
Chattahoochee 12 111.64 0 5
Lincoln 12 147.69 0 5
Lanier 10 96.61 1 4
Webster 10 392.16 2 5
Tattnall 9 35.42 0 1
Twiggs 8 98.94 0 3
Candler 7 64.59 0 1
Quitman 6 261.55 1 3
Echols 5 125.98 0 0
Evans 5 46.79 0 0
Long 5 25.11 0 2
McIntosh 5 34.32 0 2
Wheeler 5 63.22 0 0
Treutlen 4 58.57 0 0
Montgomery 2 21.68 0 1
Taliaferro 1 61.27 0 0
Rappers TI, Killer Mike to serve meals to Atlanta residents
Tip “T.I.” Harris and Michael Render, pka Killer Mike, announced a collaboration with PAWkids to serve food to 500 Atlanta residents and offer $500 cash per household to several families on Wednesday.
The food is provided by Mercedes Benz, which partners with PAWkids to bring 1,000 meals weekly to PAWkids to distribute to families in need.
Tip Harris and Killer Mike will knock on the doors today of unsuspecting Atlanta residents and deliver two weeks’ worth of groceries as well as $500 cash to a limited number of families.
Georgia's Lt. Gov. to take pay cut
Georgia Lt. Governor Geoff Duncan announced that he will cut his state salary by 14 percent for the 2020-2021 budget cycle.
“As we work through the budget process ahead of us it will be necessary for everyone to make sacrifices, and I will do my part and take a cut as well,” said Lt. Governor Duncan. “The fiscal impact of the Coronavirus on our state’s budget is severe, and the General Assembly is tasked with making serious cuts to government services and programs, which will affect the lives of the Georgians we serve.
Testing numbers update
If you noticed a large swing in the number of tests completed appearing yesterday on the Georgia Department of Public Health website, we have an explanation from the state:
"There was a technical issue with the data on Sunday, so the increase you saw this morning was for more than one day," a spokesperson said. "There has also been a concerted effort to increase testing over the past week, so the increase is also a great reflection of those efforts."
Things to know on Wednesday morning
- A Forbes article that was tweeted out by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms indicating a 40% increase in Georgians' risk of contracting COVID-19 since the statewide shelter-in-place was lifted was deleted over concerns in the math it used
- Gov. Brian Kemp announced new mobile medical unit will be established in Hall County, where cases are on the rise
- Staff at a DeKalb senior living home are living there themselves, away from their families, to stop the spread of COVID-19
- Atlanta area companies are making changes to make their workplaces safe for when employees return
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