x
Breaking News
More () »

Coronavirus in Georgia on April 7

At 11Alive News, our coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear.

For April 8 updates click here 

Below is an archive 

==

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: 

Credit: WXIA

Tuesday, April 7 

Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases surpasses 9,100

The Georgia Department of Health says the number of COVID-19 cases in Georgia is ow 9,156. A total of 348 people have now died from the virus, with another 1,899 hospitalized.

Fulton County is now reporting more than 1,100 cases and has 39 deaths from the virus. Dougherty County has also suffered significantly - it is getting closer to 1,000 cases within the county, with 56 people killed as a result. DeKalb has the third highest number of cases, with 673 being reported with 11 deaths.

As of the 7 p.m. update on Tuesday, there were only four Georgia counties remaining that had not reported a coronavirus case.

According to the state data, roughly 60 percent of all the confirmed cases in the state were patients between the ages of 18 and 59. Just over 35 percent of patients were older than 60 years old.

Here is the county-by-county breakdown:

County - Cases - Deaths

Fulton    1185    39
Dougherty    973    56
Dekalb    673    11
Cobb    566    29
Gwinnett    540    13
Clayton    278    10
Hall    215    0
Henry    208    3
Lee    204    15
Bartow    191    12
Carroll    183    4
Sumter    162    6
Cherokee    147    6
Chatham    120    4
Douglas    117    5
Mitchell    100    11
Forsyth    99    1
Early    96    5
Floyd    92    3
Terrell    92    9
Rockdale    86    2
Houston    85    6
Randolph    83    4
Fayette    81    4
Coweta    80    2
Clarke    78    9
Richmond    75    3
Colquitt    70    5
Newton    67    3
Paulding    62    1
Worth    60    3
Muscogee    54    1
Spalding    54    4
Troup    47    3
Bibb    46    1
Columbia    46    0
Crisp    46    0
Lowndes    45    1
Tift    45    1
Barrow    42    3
Thomas    42    2
Coffee    41    2
Ware    37    3
Oconee    33    1
Pierce    32    1
Calhoun    31    1
Glynn    30    0
Upson    29    0
Baldwin    27    1
Dooly    27    1
Bryan    26    2
Gordon    25    3
Walton    25    2
Laurens    24    0
Greene    23    1
Jackson    23    0
Decatur    21    0
Whitfield    21    2
Dawson    20    1
Meriwether    20    0
Peach    20    2
Polk    20    0
Turner    19    0
Butts    18    0
Effingham    18    1
Camden    17    0
Haralson    17    0
Mcduffie    16    2
Burke    15    0
Lamar    15    0
Liberty    13    0
Monroe    13    1
Seminole    13    0
Stephens    13    0
Washington    13    0
Clay    12    1
Harris    12    0
Bacon    11    0
Miller    11    0
Murray    11    0
Baker    10    2
Bulloch    10    0
Fannin    10    0
Macon    10    0
Morgan    10    0
Pickens    10    2
Pike    10    0
Schley    10    1
White    10    0
Irwin    9    0
Lumpkin    9    0
Madison    9    1
Dodge    8    0
Pulaski    8    0
Talbot    8    1
Toombs    8    1
Catoosa    7    0
Habersham    7    0
Jenkins    7    0
Jones    7    0
Appling    6    0
Ben Hill    6    0
Brooks    6    0
Grady    6    0
Jasper    6    0
Johnson    6    0
Lincoln    6    0
Warren    6    0
Brantley    5    1
Lanier    5    0
Putnam    5    0
Rabun    5    0
Wilkes    5    0
Atkinson    4    0
Banks    4    0
Berrien    4    0
Candler    4    0
Chattooga    4    1
Cook    4    0
Jefferson    4    0
Marion    4    0
Quitman    4    0
Screven    4    0
Stewart    4    0
Taylor    4    1
Telfair    4    0
Union    4    0
Walker    4    0
Webster    4    0
Charlton    3    0
Clinch    3    0
Emanuel    3    0
Franklin    3    0
Gilmer    3    0
Hart    3    0
Heard    3    1
Mcintosh    3    0
Tattnall    3    0
Wayne    3    0
Wilkinson    3    0
Chattahoochee    2    0
Elbert    2    0
Oglethorpe    2    1
Towns    2    0
Twiggs    2    0
Wilcox    2    0
Bleckley    1    0
Crawford    1    0
Dade    1    1
Echols    1    0
Hancock    1    0
Jeff Davis    1    0
Long    1    0
Treutlen    1    0
Wheeler    1    0
Unknown    441    6
*Based on patient county of residence when known

Mobile clinic to offer drive-thru testing across 10-county area

The Northeast Health District will begin using a mobile clinic to provide COVID-19 testing throughout a 10-county area, they said. The first began today in Barrow County.

The mobile clinic will provide drive-thru testing by referral only.

“We want to make sure as many people as possible have access to testing, and transportation can sometimes be a barrier,” explained Whitney Howell, Clinical and Nursing Director for the Northeast Health District. “A mobile unit will allow us to bring testing to where it’s needed most and allow early identification of cases that might otherwise have gone undetected. Finding these cases before an outbreak occurs protects individuals and the community.”

 The Clarke County site will continue to be available Monday through Friday.

Rep. Doug Collins says he's acquired hydroxychloroquine for Georgia

Georgia Republican Rep. Doug Collins says he has acquired several thousands of doses of a controversial drug being touted by the president as a possible treatment option for the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Collins tweeted on Tuesday night that he worker with Amneal Pharmaceuticals to secure 200,000 doses of hydroxychloroquine for the Georgia Department of Public Health.

President Trump has repeatedly called for doctors to use the Malaria treatment drug with COVID-19 patients during his daily White House briefings. Although there has been anecdotal evidence from small clinical trials that the drug has been used successfully, medical professionals have warned against widely using the drug because of its potentially life-threatening side effects for some patients. 

Dept. of Public Health releases cases and deaths by demographic

On Tuesday, at the request of 11Alive, the Department of Public Health provided the latest COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths by demographic. 

According to the state, 104 black Georgians have died, compared to 88 whites, and 7 listed as other. In addition, the state said there were 108 victims of unknown race. The DPH said that's as a result of that information not being recorded when completing the forms. The department is going back in an attempt to get more accurate information. 

Also, more men (188) have died than women (128) in the state, they said.

Credit: Ga. Dept. of Public Health
April 7, 2020

University of Georgia creates medical face shields

The University of Georgia has delivered a first batch of medical face shields produced on campus to local medical professionals facing a shortage of protective equipment because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they said on Tuesday.

They said they plan to deliver 200 face shields each to Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center and St. Mary’s Hospital by the end of the day Friday. They are being produced through a collaboration between the UGA College of Engineering, UGA Libraries, and the Instrument Design and Fabrication Shop, a unit of UGA’s Office of Research.

“We’re pleased to be able to help the community in this time of crisis,” said Donald Leo, dean of the College of Engineering. “Our staff and students have really taken the urgency of the situation to heart and they’ve stepped forward to support our community and its medical professionals.”

UGA can produce approximately 130 face shields a day until it runs out of materials.

Arthur Blank, Mercedes-Benz Stadium extend relief efforts for game day staff with $1M fund

Arthur Blank and Mercedes-Benz Stadium have established a $1 million emergency relief fund for "core MBS Event-Day Associates," including associates for concessions partner, Levy Restaurants and venue security partner, SAFE Management to provide assistance with hardship incurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, they announced on Tuesday.

“This is a moment to come together to take care of each other, uplift those on the front lines, provide for our community, and show up for our associates,” says Steve Cannon, CEO, AMB Sports + Entertainment.  “Giving back to others and putting people first are priorities for our organization and now, more than ever is the time to do everything we can to help those in need while taking care of our team.”

In March, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation announced nearly $5.4 million in funding for immediate and long-term recovery assistance to organizations providing critical support throughout Georgia and Montana in response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Georgia colleges, universities to continue online classes through summer semesters

The University System of Georgia (USG) announced that classes will continue online for May and through the summer semesters. 

USG institutions, they say, are tentatively planning to return to normal on-campus operations for the fall semester should guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health allow it.

USG institutions overall have remained open, with only minimal staff physically on-site to ensure continuity of certain services.

Mayor places new restrictions on Atlanta BeltLine

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms implemented new restrictions for the Atlanta BeltLine after crowds have continued to pack the trail. 

The restrictions come after a petition was created to shut down the BeltLine. Many felt that with more than 300 parks in the city, the need for the BeltLine was not necessary and that residents were gathering and not exercising. 

The new restrictions are as follows: 

Only the elderly and those most vulnerable are to use the BeltLine from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. 

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., it will be open for exercise use only. 

From 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., it will be open for transportation use (going to the store, etc.). This includes the option for bicycles and scooters.

Georgia Power extends suspension of disconnects

Georgia Power’s suspension of disconnections is being extended following a vote by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC). The company originally announced it would suspend disconnects in mid-March for at least 30 days to assist customers through this challenging time. 

Today’s vote extends the decision beyond the original timeframe, assuring customers that the suspension of disconnects will remain in place as the pandemic continues to impact customers in the state.

Confirmed cases in Georgia climb to 8,818 with 329 deaths

The Georgia Department of Health announced new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. As of Noon, there are 8,818 confirmed cases of the virus and 329 deaths reported. This is up from the 7,558 confirmed cases and 294 deaths that they announced on Monday evening.

Of the 8,818 confirmed cases, 1,124 are in Fulton, 939 are in Dougherty, 645 are in DeKalb, 550 are in Cobb and 525 are in Gwinnett. In all, there are cases reported in 155 counties (489 cases are listed as unknown counties). For a breakdown by county, view the 11Alive interactive map.

They said 1,774 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.

Of the confirmed cases, 1 percent are between the ages of 0-17, while 59 percent are 18-59 years old, 36 percent are over 60 and 4 percent are unknown. 53 percent are female, and 45 percent are male.

In total, 30,993 tests were conducted at commercial labs, reporting 8,337 positive cases. At the Department of Public Health Laboratory, 2,720 tests were conducted with 481 positive results.

COUNTY - CASES - DEATHS

Fulton    1,124    36
Dougherty    939    52
Dekalb    645    11
Cobb    550    29
Gwinnett    525    10
Clayton    266    10
Hall    196    0
Lee    195    15
Henry    194    3
Bartow    187    11
Carroll    177    4
Sumter    147    6
Cherokee    144    5
Chatham    117    4
Douglas    111    5
Forsyth    94    1
Early    92    5
Mitchell    90    10
Floyd    89    3
Terrell    87    9
Rockdale    85    2
Randolph    81    4
Coweta    79    2
Fayette    79    4
Houston    79    6
Clarke    77    9
Richmond    74    3
Colquitt    69    5
Newton    65    2
Paulding    60    1
Worth    55    3
Muscogee    53    1
Spalding    50    4
Columbia    46    0
Crisp    46    0
Troup    46    3
Lowndes    44    1
Tift    43    1
Bibb    42    1
Barrow    40    3
Coffee    38    2
Thomas    37    0
Ware    37    3
Oconee    32    0
Glynn    29    0
Calhoun    28    1
Dooly    28    1
Pierce    28    1
Upson    28    0
Baldwin    26    1
Bryan    26    2
Gordon    25    3
Walton    24    2
Laurens    22    0
Greene    21    1
Jackson    21    0
Whitfield    21    1
Dawson    20    1
Polk    20    0
Butts    17    0
Decatur    17    0
Effingham    17    1
Meriwether    17    0
Camden    16    0
Peach    16    2
Turner    16    0
Haralson    15    0
Lamar    15    0
Burke    14    0
Mcduffie    13    2
Monroe    13    1
Harris    12    0
Liberty    12    0
Seminole    12    0
Miller    11    0
Murray    11    0
Stephens    11    0
Washington    11    0
Bacon    10    0
Bulloch    10    0
Clay    10    1
Fannin    10    0
Pickens    10    2
Pike    10    0
Schley    10    1
Baker    9    1
Irwin    9    0
Lumpkin    9    0
Madison    9    1
White    9    0
Dodge    8    0
Macon    8    0
Morgan    8    0
Pulaski    8    0
Toombs    8    1
Catoosa    7    0
Jenkins    7    0
Jones    7    0
Appling    6    0
Ben Hill    6    0
Brooks    6    0
Habersham    6    0
Jasper    6    0
Johnson    6    0
Talbot    6    0
Warren    6    0
Grady    5    0
Lanier    5    0
Lincoln    5    0
Putnam    5    0
Rabun    5    0
Taylor    5    1
Wilkes    5    0
Atkinson    4    0
Berrien    4    0
Candler    4    0
Chattooga    4    1
Jefferson    4    0
Telfair    4    0
Walker    4    0
Webster    4    0
Banks    3    0
Brantley    3    1
Charlton    3    0
Clinch    3    0
Cook    3    0
Emanuel    3    0
Franklin    3    0
Gilmer    3    0
Hart    3    0
Heard    3    1
Marion    3    0
Mcintosh    3    0
Quitman    3    0
Screven    3    0
Stewart    3    0
Tattnall    3    0
Union    3    0
Wayne    3    0
Wilkinson    3    0
Chattahoochee    2    0
Crawford    2    0
Elbert    2    0
Oglethorpe    2    1
Towns    2    0
Twiggs    2    0
Wilcox    2    0
Bleckley    1    0
Dade    1    1
Echols    1    0
Hancock    1    0
Jeff Davis    1    0
Long    1    0
Treutlen    1    0
Wheeler    1    0
Unknown    489    7

Gwinnett Schools transportation staff members test positive

Gwinnett County Public Schools officials tell 11Alive News that four transportation staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. 

They did not specify the roles these staff members play in the department, if they are bus drivers or were involved in meal delivery. 

In a statement, they said: "Our process, once we are alerted to a case, is to have our county nurse work with the individual and the Health Department to identify others with whom they have been in contact. Those contacts are alerted and they are asked to self-isolate as recommended by the Health Department and CDC."

Kroger to limit number of customers in store

Kroger announced in a release it was now limiting the number of customers in a store at a time to 50% of building code capacity.

The grocery chain also said it was working to obtain masks for store employees. "Associates may also wear their own mask, 'official face masks' or they may wear homemade cloth masks per the CDC and White House guidance," the release said.

Kroger says its Atlanta division, which includes Georgia, eastern Alabama and South Carolina, has hired more than 3,000 people, including 500 to accommodate its free grocery pick-up service that is now available nationwide.

Things to know this morning 

  • DeKalb parks serving snacks during spring break for children
  • Rockdale inmate tests positive 
  • The Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta and the Atlanta Jewish Foundation announced that the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund has received more than $2.7 million just over two weeks.
  • Piedmont looks to open new tower months ahead of schedule to accommodate COVID-19 patients
  • A Dawson County Sheriff's deputy has tested positive for COVID-19, the agency said on Facebook
  • CVS will be operating drive-thru rapid COVID-19 testing at a site on Georgia Tech's campus. At full capacity, the site will be able to conduct up to 1,000 tests per day.
  • Georgia's governor has named one of the daughters of The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to help lead a new outreach committee as the state copes with the coronavirus.
  • Georgia Renaissance Festival moves from spring to fall

LATEST CORONAVIRUS HEADLINES: 

Drone footage shows empty streets of Paris

'No model is perfect': A look at how coronavirus projections are made

'Georgia lost a gentle giant' | State Senator Jack Hill dies

Stacey Abrams and panel discuss realities of COVID-19 for underserved communities

A bear of a birthday: neighborhood decks out houses, throws 4-year-old a party from a distance

Recovered COVID-19 patient shares her story

Millions of Americans will soon get stimulus checks. But here's who won't.

Plasma transfusions used to help those critically ill from COVID-19

These restaurants in Atlanta are offering Easter dinner take-out options

Daughter of MLK named to Georgia coronavirus outreach group

Before You Leave, Check This Out