Here is the latest coronavirus blog for April 15.
Below is an archive
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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:
- 524 deaths from the novel coronavirus in Georgia
- 14,578 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 the school year
- Public Health Emergency now in effect until May 13
Tuesday, April 14
More than 50 resident cases of COVID-19 at senior living community
The number of coronavirus cases at Arbor Terrace at Cascade has climbed to more than 50. On Tuesday, a spokesperson told 11Alive they had 52 positive resident cases.
Back on March 31, a spokesperson said they were aware of seven residents from Arbor Terrace at Cascade with confirmed cases of COVID-19. They also said in that statement that Cascade residents had been asked to quarantine in their apartments to help reduce the spread of illness in the community.
Number of cases surges to 14,578, with 524 deaths
The number of confirmed cases of coronavirus has now grown to 14,578, according to the latest information released by the Georgia Department of Public Health. There are now 524 people who have died from COVID-19, with another 2,800 hospitalized with the virus.
Fulton (1,812), Dougherty (1,297) and DeKalb (1,144) counties are now all reporting more than 1,000 confirmed cases of the virus. Not far behind are Cobb and Gwinnett counties.
There are still two counties in Georgia out of 159 that have not yet reported a positive case of COVID-19.
Here is the county-by-county breakdown:
County - Cases - Deaths
Fulton 1812 60
Dougherty 1297 78
DeKalb 1144 15
Cobb 895 41
Gwinnett 815 29
Clayton 435 12
Hall 363 0
Henry 306 4
Sumter 269 12
Lee 258 15
Carroll 235 6
Bartow 230 17
Cherokee 219 7
Douglas 189 6
Muscogee 175 4
Mitchell 164 19
Richmond 162 7
Chatham 157 5
Forsyth 153 5
Houston 138 9
Early 137 6
Coweta 135 2
Terrell 134 11
Randolph 131 6
Upson 128 5
Floyd 120 6
Fayette 115 5
Paulding 115 4
Rockdale 106 5
Newton 100 3
Worth 99 4
Clarke 95 12
Bibb 91 1
Thomas 89 5
Colquitt 88 5
Crisp 83 1
Spalding 83 4
Columbia 75 0
Tift 71 1
Lowndes 70 3
Baldwin 69 2
Troup 68 4
Barrow 65 3
Coffee 64 3
Ware 64 4
Calhoun 54 2
Walton 52 3
Dooly 51 2
Macon 47 0
Pierce 47 2
Decatur 46 0
Gordon 45 3
Oconee 42 0
Turner 41 1
Glynn 40 0
Dawson 36 2
Butts 35 0
Laurens 35 1
Jackson 32 1
Greene 31 1
Bryan 30 2
Mcduffie 30 2
Whitfield 29 3
Burke 28 2
Habersham 28 1
Wilcox 28 0
Effingham 25 1
Polk 25 0
Meriwether 24 0
Peach 24 2
Stephens 24 0
Harris 23 1
Camden 22 0
Pike 22 0
Washington 22 0
Grady 21 1
Liberty 21 0
Brooks 20 1
Bulloch 20 1
Johnson 20 1
Lamar 20 0
Haralson 19 1
Oglethorpe 19 1
Dodge 17 0
Marion 17 0
Baker 16 2
Clay 16 1
Murray 16 0
Seminole 16 1
Catoosa 15 0
Miller 15 0
Morgan 15 0
Toombs 15 1
Bacon 14 0
Jones 14 0
White 14 0
Appling 13 0
Fannin 13 0
Monroe 13 1
Pickens 13 2
Brantley 12 1
Irwin 12 0
Madison 12 1
Putnam 12 0
Schley 12 1
Wilkinson 12 1
Jenkins 11 1
Lumpkin 11 0
Pulaski 11 1
Telfair 11 0
Ben Hill 10 0
Talbot 10 1
Walker 10 0
Crawford 9 0
Emanuel 9 0
Jasper 9 0
Lincoln 9 0
Screven 9 0
Taylor 9 2
Banks 8 0
Berrien 8 0
Chattooga 8 1
Stewart 8 0
Towns 8 0
Union 8 1
Wilkes 8 0
Cook 7 0
Gilmer 7 0
Jefferson 7 1
Rabun 7 0
Warren 7 0
Clinch 6 0
Elbert 6 0
Wayne 6 0
Chattahoochee 5 0
Franklin 5 0
Hancock 5 0
Hart 5 0
Heard 5 1
Lanier 5 1
Tattnall 5 0
Candler 4 0
Charlton 4 0
Bleckley 3 0
Dade 3 1
Mcintosh 3 0
Quitman 3 0
Twiggs 3 0
Webster 3 0
Wheeler 3 0
Atkinson 2 0
Echols 2 0
Evans 2 0
Long 2 0
Montgomery 2 0
Jeff Davis 1 0
Treutlen 1 0
Unknown 287 0
Non-Georgia Resident 665 7
*Based on patient county of residence when known
911 call centers to get list of positive COVID-19 cases
The Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Public Health, will begin to provide a list of COVID-19 cases in each jurisdiction to 911 centers this week.
According to a news release, only the address will be shared with 911 centers. If a 911 call is made from that address within the 21-day period of when a patient was potentially infectious, the dispatch center will alert the responding personnel - including EMS, fire, and law enforcement - of the presence of a patient with COVID-19 at that address.
Hartsfield-Jackson lands largest CARES Act funding among U.S. airports
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is receiving the largest amount of CARES Act grant funding among all airports in the United States, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle.
The Atlanta airport will receive a rescue package for $338,535,265, according to an announcement from the Federal Aviation Commission. The state of Georgia's 97 airports will collectively receive $410,817,650 out of a total of $10 billion earmarked for airports through the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Recovery and Economic Security Act.
“This $10 billion in emergency resources will help fund the continued operations of our nation’s airports during this crisis and save workers’ jobs,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said in a prepared statement.
TSA officer who worked at Atlanta's airport dies of COVID-19
A TSA officer who worked with the agency for more than 14 years died yesterday after contracting COVID-19. He most recently worked as an officer at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
Dian Phipps "dedicated his career to protecting the traveling public, and his contributions to TSA and our mission will not be forgotten," the agency said in a news release.
Phipps first joined the TSA in 2006 and began his career working checkpoint screening operations at Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.
DeKalb Schools closing early, announces new graduation dates
The DeKalb County School District announced it plans to close the 2019-2020 school year a little earlier than planned. For Pre-K to 11th grade, they will now end on May 15. The school year for seniors will end on May 8, 2020.
Graduation ceremonies will be moved from the week of May 18-23 to the week of June 22-27. They are trying to determine if it will be a virtual graduation or a "hybrid" face-to-face with seniors and staff only, while being broadcast to families and friends.
Confirmed cases in Georgia climb to 14,223 with 501 deaths
The Georgia Department of Health announced new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday. As of Noon, there are 14,223 confirmed cases of the virus and 501 deaths reported. This is up from the 13,621 confirmed cases and 480 deaths that they announced on Monday evening.
Of the 14,223 confirmed cases, 1,774 are in Fulton, 1,067are in DeKalb, 1,286 are in Dougherty, 874 are in Cobb and 794 are in Gwinnett. In all, there are cases reported in 157 counties (442 cases are listed as unknown counties). They also listed 593 cases as "non-Georgia residents." For a breakdown by county, view the 11Alive interactive map.
Of the confirmed cases, 1 percent are between the ages of 0-17, while 60 percent are 18-59 years old, 35 percent are over 60 and 4 percent are unknown. 54 percent are female, and 44 percent are male.
They said 2,769 patients are hospitalized with COVID-19.
In total, 57,812 tests were conducted at commercial labs, reporting 13,462 positive cases. At the Department of Public Health Laboratory, 3,983 tests were conducted with 761 positive results.
COUNTY - CASES - DEATHS
Fulton 1774 57
Dougherty 1286 78
Dekalb 1067 15
Cobb 874 39
Gwinnett 794 26
Clayton 427 12
Hall 339 0
Henry 302 4
Sumter 265 11
Lee 257 15
Carroll 230 6
Bartow 224 17
Cherokee 211 7
Douglas 184 5
Muscogee 172 4
Chatham 156 5
Richmond 156 7
Mitchell 151 15
Forsyth 148 5
Houston 136 9
Early 132 6
Terrell 129 11
Coweta 126 2
Randolph 126 6
Upson 124 3
Floyd 119 6
Fayette 112 5
Paulding 108 4
Rockdale 104 4
Worth 98 4
Clarke 95 12
Newton 95 3
Colquitt 88 5
Spalding 82 4
Bibb 81 1
Crisp 80 1
Thomas 79 4
Columbia 74 0
Lowndes 67 3
Tift 67 1
Troup 65 3
Coffee 64 3
Ware 61 4
Baldwin 60 2
Barrow 58 3
Calhoun 53 2
Dooly 51 2
Walton 48 2
Macon 45 0
Pierce 45 2
Gordon 44 3
Decatur 42 0
Oconee 41 0
Turner 41 1
Glynn 38 0
Laurens 35 1
Butts 34 0
Dawson 32 2
Jackson 32 1
Bryan 30 2
Greene 30 1
Whitfield 29 3
Burke 28 2
Mcduffie 28 2
Wilcox 28 0
Polk 25 0
Effingham 24 1
Meriwether 24 0
Peach 24 2
Harris 23 1
Camden 22 0
Washington 22 0
Habersham 21 1
Johnson 20 1
Lamar 20 0
Liberty 20 0
Pike 20 0
Stephens 20 0
Brooks 19 1
Bulloch 19 1
Haralson 19 1
Grady 18 0
Oglethorpe 18 1
Baker 16 2
Clay 16 1
Marion 16 0
Seminole 16 1
Dodge 15 0
Miller 15 0
Morgan 15 0
Murray 15 0
Bacon 14 0
Catoosa 14 0
Jones 14 0
Appling 13 0
Fannin 13 0
Monroe 13 1
Pickens 13 2
Toombs 13 1
White 13 0
Irwin 12 0
Madison 12 1
Schley 12 1
Wilkinson 12 1
Brantley 11 1
Jenkins 11 1
Pulaski 11 1
Telfair 11 0
Lumpkin 10 0
Talbot 10 1
Ben Hill 9 0
Emanuel 9 0
Jasper 9 0
Lincoln 9 0
Putnam 9 0
Taylor 9 2
Banks 8 0
Crawford 8 0
Stewart 8 0
Union 8 1
Berrien 7 0
Chattooga 7 1
Cook 7 0
Gilmer 7 0
Jefferson 7 1
Rabun 7 0
Screven 7 0
Walker 7 0
Warren 7 0
Wilkes 7 0
Clinch 6 0
Elbert 6 0
Towns 6 0
Wayne 6 0
Hancock 5 0
Hart 5 0
Heard 5 1
Lanier 5 1
Tattnall 5 0
Candler 4 0
Charlton 4 0
Chattahoochee 4 0
Franklin 4 0
Bleckley 3 0
Dade 3 1
Mcintosh 3 0
Quitman 3 0
Webster 3 0
Wheeler 3 0
Atkinson 2 0
Echols 2 0
Evans 2 0
Long 2 0
Montgomery 2 0
Twiggs 2 0
Jeff Davis 1 0
Treutlen 1 0
Unknown 442 0
Non-Georgia Resident 593 5
Georgia announces increased staffing in healthcare facilities for COVID-19
Gov. Kemp announced plans to augment staffing levels for healthcare facilities in various parts of Georgia to combat the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The state partnered with Jackson Healthcare, a Georgia company with a portfolio of staffing, search, and technology companies that assist health systems, hospitals, and other healthcare facilities with workforce needs. The state is working with them through its subsidiary Healthcare Workforce Logistics to bring roughly 570 additional healthcare professionals to key health systems.
Expanded access for Cobb drive-thru testing
Cobb & Douglas Public Health said there would be expanded access at the Cobb County drive-through coronavirus testing location at Jim Miller Park.
The site is not open to the general public, and testing is available by appointment only. To schedule an appointment the agency says you must "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."
Those eligible now include the following:
- Hospitalized patients
- The following people with symptoms:
- Healthcare workers, first responders, and other critical infrastructure workers
- Persons residing in long-term care facilities or other group residential settings
- Persons 65 years of age and older
- Patients with underlying medical conditions
- Household members or caregivers of any of the groups above
- Persons with close contact with a known COVID-19 case
- The following people without symptoms will also be tested as capacity allows:
- Healthcare workers, first responders, and other critical infrastructure workers that have been exposed to COVID-19
- Residents of a long-term care facility or group residential setting experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19
Things to know on Tuesday morning
MORE CORONAVIRUS HEADLINES: