ATLANTA — Below is an archive of information and details from Friday, April 10.
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The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Georgia has increased again, and has now topped 11,800, according to the latest figures from the Georgia Department of Public Health. There are now 425 deaths being reported. Scroll to read more.
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:
- 425 deaths from the novel coronavirus in Georgia
- 11,859 confirmed cases across the state
- Statewide shelter-in-place order in effect until April 30
- All public schools in Georgia closed through the end of school year
- Public Health Emergency now in effect until May 13
Friday, April 10
Confirmed cases top 11,800, with 425 deaths reported
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Georgia has increased again, and now stands at 11,859, according to the latest figures from the Georgia Department of Public Health. There are 425 deaths being reported, with another 2,454 people hospitalized with the virus.
Fulton County alone now has more than 1,400 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and is reporting 50 deaths from the virus. Dougherty County is reporting the second-highest number of cases at 1,072 and 68 deaths.
Only four of Georgia's 159 counties - Taliaferro, Glascock, Evans and Montgomery - do not have any reported cases of the virus.
According to the data, Black Americans account for 2,117 of the cases in Georgia, while 1,532 non-Hispanic whites have been diagnosed with the virus. There are 6,716 people with the virus listed with an "unknown race."
Here is the county-by-county breakdown:
County - Cases - Deaths
Fulton 1417 50
Dougherty 1072 68
Dekalb 826 13
Cobb 681 33
Gwinnett 669 17
Clayton 328 11
Hall 273 0
Henry 249 3
Lee 230 15
Sumter 216 9
Bartow 208 15
Carroll 200 5
Cherokee 177 7
Douglas 148 5
Muscogee 142 3
Chatham 140 5
Mitchell 135 13
Richmond 134 4
Forsyth 119 4
Houston 112 7
Early 107 6
Floyd 104 5
Terrell 103 10
Randolph 102 5
Coweta 100 2
Fayette 93 4
Rockdale 89 2
Clarke 81 10
Colquitt 80 5
Worth 78 4
Newton 77 3
Paulding 74 2
Thomas 74 3
Columbia 65 0
Spalding 65 4
Crisp 63 0
Lowndes 59 2
Bibb 58 1
Tift 56 1
Troup 56 3
Coffee 53 2
Barrow 51 3
Upson 50 0
Ware 50 4
Pierce 43 2
Calhoun 39 2
Dooly 37 1
Oconee 37 1
Baldwin 35 1
Glynn 34 0
Walton 34 2
Bryan 29 2
Gordon 29 3
Laurens 29 1
Turner 28 0
Butts 27 0
Decatur 27 0
Jackson 26 1
Dawson 25 2
Greene 25 1
Burke 24 0
Whitfield 24 3
Peach 21 2
Polk 21 0
Washington 21 0
Effingham 20 1
Camden 19 0
Harris 19 1
Mcduffie 19 2
Meriwether 19 0
Macon 18 0
Brooks 17 1
Liberty 16 0
Stephens 16 0
Bulloch 15 0
Clay 15 1
Grady 15 0
Haralson 15 0
Johnson 15 1
Lamar 15 0
Pike 15 0
Bacon 14 0
Habersham 14 1
Morgan 14 0
Seminole 14 0
Catoosa 12 0
Monroe 12 1
Murray 12 0
Oglethorpe 12 1
Schley 12 1
Baker 11 2
Irwin 11 0
Toombs 11 1
White 11 0
Jones 10 0
Madison 10 1
Marion 10 0
Miller 10 0
Pickens 10 2
Appling 9 0
Dodge 9 0
Fannin 9 0
Jenkins 9 1
Lumpkin 9 0
Pulaski 9 0
Talbot 9 1
Telfair 9 0
Wilkinson 9 1
Ben Hill 8 0
Banks 7 0
Brantley 7 1
Emanuel 7 0
Lincoln 7 0
Taylor 7 2
Berrien 6 0
Cook 6 0
Gilmer 6 0
Jasper 6 0
Jefferson 6 1
Rabun 6 0
Stewart 6 0
Union 6 1
Walker 6 0
Warren 6 0
Wilkes 6 0
Lanier 5 0
Putnam 5 0
Screven 5 0
Wilcox 5 0
Candler 4 0
Chattooga 4 1
Franklin 4 0
Wayne 4 0
Chattahoochee 3 0
Clinch 3 0
Crawford 3 0
Elbert 3 0
Hart 3 0
Heard 3 1
Mcintosh 3 0
Quitman 3 0
Tattnall 3 0
Towns 3 0
Webster 3 0
Atkinson 2 0
Charlton 2 0
Dade 2 1
Echols 2 0
Twiggs 2 0
Wheeler 2 0
Bleckley 1 0
Hancock 1 0
Jeff Davis 1 0
Long 1 0
Treutlen 1 0
Unknown 1226 5
*Based on patient county of residence when known
Atlanta Public Schools moves to once-a-week food distribution
Atlanta Public Schools says it be be moving to provide food and meals for APS students and their families once a week on Mondays, beginning April 13.
APS said students will be provided with five breakfast and five lunch meals each Monday. Student breakfast and lunch meals will be available along with bus delivery service at all 10 sites listed below.
In addition, a bag of weekly groceries will be available at five sites only. Service will be available each Monday from 10 a.m. to Noon, via drive-thru or walk up, while supplies last.
Bus route information:
Bunche Middle School
1925 Niskey Lake Road, SW
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bag of weekly groceries available
- Bus delivery
Cleveland Avenue Elementary School
2672 Old Hapeville Road, SW
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bag of weekly groceries available
- Bus delivery
Douglass High School
225 Hamilton E Holmes Dr., NW
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bag of weekly groceries available
- Bus delivery
Phoenix Academy (formerly Alonzo Crim High School)
256 Clifton St., SE
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bag of weekly groceries available
- Bus delivery
Sylvan Hills Middle School
1461 Sylvan Road, SW
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bag of weekly groceries available
- Bus delivery
Booker T. Washington High School
45 Whitehouse Drive, SW
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bus delivery
Hope-Hill Elementary School
112 Boulevard, NE
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bus delivery
King Middle School
545 Hill Street, SE
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bus delivery
Thomasville Heights Elementary School
1820 Henry Thomas Drive, SE
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bus delivery
Young Middle School
3116 Benjamin E Mays Drive, SW
- Five student breakfast and lunch meals
- Bus delivery
APS bus delivery is available on middle school bus routes in these clusters: Carver, Douglass, Jackson, Mays, South Atlanta, Therrell, and Washington. Children do not have to be present to receive a meal. Families are encouraged to pull up at these locations for drive-thru service.
Atlanta Mayor signs order suspending state's Mask Statute in the city
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said in a tweet late Friday afternoon that she has signed an order directing police officers in the city not to enforce the state's mask statute.
This came on the heels, the mayor said, of her seeing two men in another city being escorted from a store for wearing masks for protection -- as directed by the CDC, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Georgia's mask statue makes it illegal for individuals to wear masks in public outside of Halloween or a similar context. It also prevents individuals from wearing masks into stores in the state.
According to the mayor's order, persons are permitted to wear masks "without fear of citation or arrest for a violation of the Georgia Mask Statute, for a period not to exceed 60 days."
MARTA to give 'hero payment' to frontline employees; Adjusts bus service to address crowding
MARTA front-line workers and employees are going to get a one-time "hero payment" of $500, according to the agency during a news conference on Friday.
The transit agency said it will also implement 80 hours of additional paid sick leave for employees affected by COVID-19 and distribute masks to all employees unable to telework.
In addition, MARTA is adjusting parts of its bus service to address the problem of crowding, which they said has occurred since the implementation of rear-door boarding on buses.
Federal district court sets date to hear ACLU Georgia's lawsuit
A federal court says it will hear a lawsuit filed by the ACLU and the ACLU of Georgia against the secretary of state.
The ACLU said it filed Black Voters Matter v. Raffensperger in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division.
According to the civil rights group, it is challenging the constitutionality of requiring voters to buy postage stamps when submitting mail-in absentee ballots and ballot application, claiming the costs violate the Constitution's ban on poll taxes.
"Postage costs money. Georgia’s election officials require voters to pay postage when submitting mail-in absentee ballots. This is a poll tax and, therefore, unconstitutional," the group said in a statement.
The court says they have to prove and "quantify the burden with as much precision as possible."
“No one should have to choose between protecting their health and their right to vote. Voting by mail will be the safest option for many voters. In failing to provide prepaid postage for absentee ballots, Georgia is creating an unconstitutional obstacle to voting. We won't allow for a modern-day poll tax,” said Sophia Lin Lakin, deputy director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project.
The group is seeking a preliminary injunction to require election officials to provide prepaid returnable envelopes for absentee ballots and absentee ballot applications.
The hearing is set for April 24 at 10:30 a.m.
Georgia Democrats call for mail-in ballots to be sent to all voters
Georgia Democrats on Friday called for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to send absentee mail-in ballots to all registered voters in the state.
Democratic chairwoman, State Sen. Nikema Williams, said on a Friday conference call that right now, there's no way to ensure the situation with the coronavirus pandemic will subside enough to allow voters to safely gather at in-person polling sites on June 9.
On Thursday, Raffensperger announced a delay of the state's presidential primary vote for the second time -- from May 19 to June 9.
She and the Georgia Democrats argue the safest way to vote is by mail. Republicans have argued it would make the vote more corruptible.
Nearly 11,500 cases reported across Georgia with 416 deaths
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Georgia took a significant jump Friday morning to nearly 11,500. More than 415 Georgians were reported dead from COVID-19, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The largest concentration of cases across the state continues to be in the metro area, with 1,364 cases in Fulton County and 48 deaths. Dougherty County has the second largest number of cases in Georgia with 1,062 cases and the single-largest number total of deaths with 67 cases.
The next five largest case totals are in metro Atlanta -- DeKalb with 795 cases, Cobb with 662 cases, Gwinnett with 646 cases, Clayton with 310 cases and Hall County with 250 cases.
The full county listing is as follows:
County - Cases - Deaths
Fulton 1364 48
Dougherty 1062 67
Dekalb 795 13
Cobb 662 33
Gwinnett 646 17
Clayton 310 11
Hall 250 0
Henry 242 3
Lee 222 15
Sumter 211 9
Bartow 207 15
Carroll 197 5
Cherokee 170 7
Douglas 142 5
Chatham 136 5
Mitchell 131 13
Muscogee 127 3
Forsyth 113 2
Houston 111 7
Early 105 5
Terrell 100 10
Floyd 99 5
Randolph 98 5
Richmond 95 4
Fayette 92 4
Coweta 90 2
Rockdale 85 2
Clarke 81 10
Colquitt 80 5
Worth 75 4
Newton 73 3
Thomas 73 3
Paulding 69 2
Crisp 61 0
Spalding 60 4
Columbia 59 0
Bibb 56 1
Lowndes 56 1
Tift 56 1
Troup 56 3
Coffee 53 2
Barrow 48 3
Ware 48 4
Upson 47 0
Pierce 41 2
Calhoun 37 2
Walton 36 2
Dooly 35 1
Oconee 35 1
Baldwin 32 1
Glynn 32 0
Bryan 29 2
Gordon 28 3
Laurens 28 1
Turner 28 0
Butts 27 0
Decatur 26 0
Jackson 26 1
Greene 25 1
Dawson 24 1
Whitfield 24 3
Burke 21 0
Polk 21 0
Washington 21 0
Peach 20 2
Camden 19 0
Effingham 19 1
Mcduffie 19 2
Macon 18 0
Meriwether 18 0
Brooks 17 1
Harris 17 1
Bulloch 16 0
Clay 15 1
Grady 15 0
Haralson 15 0
Lamar 15 0
Pike 15 0
Stephens 15 0
Bacon 14 0
Johnson 14 1
Liberty 14 0
Morgan 14 0
Habersham 13 0
Monroe 12 1
Murray 12 0
Schley 12 1
Seminole 12 0
Baker 11 2
Catoosa 11 0
Irwin 11 0
Oglethorpe 11 1
Pickens 11 2
Toombs 11 1
White 11 0
Miller 10 0
Dodge 9 0
Fannin 9 0
Jones 9 0
Lumpkin 9 0
Madison 9 1
Marion 9 0
Pulaski 9 0
Talbot 9 1
Telfair 9 0
Ben Hill 8 0
Jenkins 8 1
Wilkinson 8 1
Appling 7 0
Banks 7 0
Emanuel 7 0
Berrien 6 0
Brantley 6 1
Cook 6 0
Jasper 6 0
Lincoln 6 0
Rabun 6 0
Stewart 6 0
Taylor 6 2
Union 6 1
Walker 6 0
Warren 6 0
Wilkes 6 0
Lanier 5 0
Putnam 5 0
Screven 5 0
Wilcox 5 0
Candler 4 0
Chattooga 4 1
Gilmer 4 0
Jefferson 4 1
Quitman 4 0
Chattahoochee 3 0
Clinch 3 0
Crawford 3 0
Elbert 3 0
Franklin 3 0
Hart 3 0
Heard 3 1
Mcintosh 3 0
Tattnall 3 0
Towns 3 0
Wayne 3 0
Webster 3 0
Atkinson 2 0
Charlton 2 0
Dade 2 1
Echols 2 0
Twiggs 2 0
Wheeler 2 0
Bleckley 1 0
Hancock 1 0
Jeff Davis 1 0
Long 1 0
Treutlen 1 0
*Unknown 1246 5
*In the final 1,246 cases and 5 deaths, the county of residence were not known.
Fayetteville woman facing federal charges for allegedly selling products she claimed would protect against viruses
The US Attorney's Office has accused a 34-year-old Fayetteville woman of selling illegal products claiming to protect against viruses.
“We will take quick action through the Georgia COVID-19 Task Force to put a stop to criminals preying on the public with Coronavirus-related fraud schemes,” said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak.
Rong Sun -- also known as Vicky Sun -- faces federal charges of illegally selling an unregistered pesticide, illegally importing the unregistered pesticide, and mailing a prohibited article. She made an initial appearance before a US Magistrate in Atlanta on Wednesday.
According to Pak, Sun allegedly sold an unregistered pesticide -- Toamit Virus Shut Out -- on eBay, claiming it would help protect individuals from viruses.
The product was marketed and sold as "Virus Shut Out" and "Stop the Virus." The eBay listing depicted the removal of viruses by wearing the product.
Cobb County schools going to 4-day week online
The Cobb County School District announced Friday that students would be moving to a four-day schedule for the rest of the year.
The schedule will run Monday-Thursday, and takes effect on Monday, April 13. The district is currently on Spring Break.
"Each Friday will be an opportunity for students to independently review their progress from the previous week and to catch-up on assignments as needed," the district said in a release. "No new work or assignments will be presented to students on Fridays."
Gwinnett schools move to four-day week for new assignments
Gwinnett County Public Schools will functionally begin a four-day week next week, with the school system saying there will be no new assignments for students on Fridays.
In an update issued to parents this week, the school system said it would instead use Fridays for other priorities. The new operating schedule begins on Monday, April 13.
Delta's credit rating takes a hit
The airline industry has been one of the most severely hard-hit by the coronavirus crisis, and Delta is bearing its share of that significant cost.
In a sign of the struggle, the ratings service Fitch downgraded Delta one notch to "BB+" from "BBB-."
College Park hazard pay
The city of College Park announced it had earlier this week approved hazard pay for front line public safety and public works employees during the coronavirus outbreak.
”Our front line responders ensure our city can still function in the midst of a global pandemic and have continued to work, despite the risks,” College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom said in a release.
It was approved in a unanimous vote at Monday's city council meeting.
Georgia Natural Gas donation
Georgia Natural Gas says it is donating $200,000 to COVID-19 relief efforts, part of a wider $2.5 million donation by its parent company, Southern Company.
"The funding will be distributed to various metro Atlanta agencies including Giving Kitchen, a nonprofit organization which provides financial assistance to food service workers in crisis due to an unexpected illness, injury, death of an immediate family member, or housing disaster," a release said. "During the coronavirus crisis, the Giving Kitchen is addressing the needs of food service workers in Georgia who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or those who are under a doctor’s orders for a mandatory quarantine."
No Brookhaven Eastern Bunny, after all
Brookhaven had the idea of trying to maintain Easter Bunny appearances in the time of social distancing with a drive-by "parade" around the area.
"The event was intended to spread some Easter joy in light of all of the other City events canceled in March and April.," a city release said "The Easter Bunny 'parade' was to consist only of the Easter Bunny riding in the back of a Brookhaven Police Department pickup truck. This way, kids of all ages could have spotted Peter Rabbit and Brookhaven Police from their front yards and porches."
But, Brookhaven Mayor John Ernst said it was called off "due to a growing concern that the popularity of the Easter Bunny would exceed reasonable expectations of social distancing."
New drive-thru testing sites
Two new coronavirus drive-thru testing sites have popped up in the last two days - but you still need pre-approval to visit either of them.
One was opened yesterday by Emory Healthcare at a Children's Healthcare of Atlanta parking deck located at 6 Executive Park Drive NE.
Emory says testing is by appointment only. They ask people to first use their online COVID-19 screening tool and, if you exhibit serious enough symptoms, call their COVID line at 404-712-6843 (operating (Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Their nursing team can then schedule a testing appointment.
Emory notes that anyone who turns up without an appointment will be turned away.
Another site, for Douglas and Cobb County residents, has been set up in Douglasville and opens today. It's located at Hunter Memorial Park, address 8830 Gurley Road, in Douglasville.
The city of Douglasville offers this guidance:
"To see if you qualify for COVID-19 testing, call your healthcare provider, a provider at a federally qualified healthcare center or call the Cobb & Douglas Public Health Call Center at 770-514-2300 and it will be determined if a test is needed and then you will be scheduled."
Major losses at Piedmont Healthcare
The CEO of one metro Atlanta hospital system says responsible steps taken to prepare for treating COVID-19 patients will cause "enormous" financial losses.
Kevin Brown, chief executive of Piedmont Healthcare, declined to name a figure.
"I don't want to throw out dollars, but it will be financial losses like no other health care system has ever seen before," he said.
Things to know Friday
- Tyler Perry loses longtime crew member Charles Gregory, a hairstylist, to COVID-19
- Extra $600 in unemployment benefits from stimulus package could arrive as soon as next week
- Atlanta landmarks turned blue last night to thank frontline workers
- A Sandy Springs restaurant is turning to selling groceries to stay afloat
- An effort is underway to test thousands of Atlantans experiencing homelessness
- Digital learning situation exposing the digital divide within Georgia's school 'districts
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