Kemp Touts More Testing As Georgia Coronavirus Numbers Rise

GEORGIA — Despite blowback from the public and outright disagreement from President Donald Trump, Gov. Brian Kemp is standing by his decision to loosen some coronavirus-related restrictions starting Friday. However, tweets sent from the governor’s office Thursday morning made a point of emphasizing parameters and progress.

One tweet linked to an explanation written in plain English about what would be allowed to open — fitness centers, barbers and the like — and how they would still be restricted with social distancing and medical screenings. The list and explanation are here.

Other tweets announced progress in tracking the new coronavirus, with 47 public health districts now screening clients and nearly 22,000 testing kits being pushed out in the past 10 days. About 12,000 specimens have been collected so far. Since April 6, the state’s testing lab has sent out nearly 10,000 tests targeted specifically to long-term care facilities and hot spots.

Get the latest updates on the new coronavirus in Georgia as they happen. Sign up for free news alerts and a newsletter in your Patch town.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for reopening, released by the Trump administration, says that states need to have 14 days of declining new case totals before they can begin easing restrictions. Georgia has yet to meet that standard.

At noon Thursday, the Georgia Department of Health reported that 36 more Georgians had died of the coronavirus in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total to 872. The total number of confirmed cases jumped to 21,512, up by 772 over Wednesday at noon. Of that total, 4,069 — or about 19 percent — are hospitalized. The total number of deaths from coronavirus recorded is about 4 percent of the total number of cases reported.

Most of the top 10 counties with the highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths are in the metro Atlanta area, with Fulton County still first for cases with 2,308. Dougherty County, though, which has the third highest number of cases at 1479, has the highest death count at 110.

Other counties in the top five are DeKalb at second, with 1,639 cases and 33 deaths; Gwinnett at fourth, with 1,304 cases and 46 deaths; and Cobb at fifth with 1,284 cases and 65 deaths. Rounding out the top 10 are Hall, Clayton, Henry, Cherokee and Sumter counties.

Georgia’s soft reopening is similar to one planned in Colorado, where a Democratic governor, Jared Polis, is in charge. The Colorado reopening is promoted as “safer at home,” opens similar businesses and has been comparably panned and praised, reports Atlanta TV station 11Alive.

RELATED:

• Unemployment Claims Spike, Options Offered By GA: Coronavirus
• Emory Doctors Tapped To Help Shape Federal Coronavirus Treatment
• Can’t Cope With Coronavirus? Counseling Can Help