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Georgia death toll passes 200.
By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief
Capitol Beat News Service
ATLANTA - Coronavirus now has killed more than 200 Georgians, the state Department of Public Health reported Saturday,
As of 11:30 a.m., 201 COVID-19 patients had died from the virus in Georgia. The number of confirmed cases was up to 6,160. Of that number, 1,239 – or 20.1% - were hospitalized.
The 201 deaths are nearly twice the number reported just four days ago, even as the state has ramped up testing and deployed the Georgia National Guard to Albany, the hardest-hit community in the state.
Dougherty County, where efforts to cope with the rapid spread of COVID-19 have drawn national media coverage, deaths from coronavirus have surpassed deaths in much more populous Fulton County. Thirty patients had died in the Albany area as of 11:30 a.m., compared to 26 deaths in Fulton.
Cobb County has suffered 20 deaths from the virus, followed by Clayton County with nine and Athens-Clarke, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Lee counties with eight each.
Testing has picked up in recent days, with 23,846 Georgians tested for COVID-19 as of Saturday and 2,448 tested by the state.
As been the case throughout the course of the pandemic thus far, the most Georgians testing positive for the virus – 59% - are between the ages of 18 to 59. Older Georgians age 60 and above account for 36% of positive tests.
Women outnumber men among those testing positive for coronavirus, 52% to 46%.
A statewide shelter-in-place order imposed by Gov. Brian Kemp took effect early Friday evening. Georgians are supposed to stay at home whenever possible, unless they need to go to the grocery store or pharmacy, or for medical treatment.
There’s also a broad range of exceptions for people who work in industries considered essential and can’t perform their duties from home. Another exception allows for outdoor exercise, as long as people keep at least six feet of distance between each other.