Kemp visits Macon, Middle GA up to 1,876 COVID-19 cases and more updates

Gov. Brian Kemp toured a temporary medical unit outside of The Medical Center, Navicent Health in Macon Wednesday during a visit to Bibb County.

The temporary medical unit was installed to potentially serve patients displaced by a spike in COVID-19 cases in Georgia. The unit has not been used yet. Kemp, who wore a mask before and after delivering a speech, said Georgia purchased the units based on “scary” coronavirus projections.

“The state owns them, so we’re going to have them for a long time,” Kemp said. “If we have... a major storm event, like we experienced during Hurricane Michael, we now have a resource we can quickly deploy. These assets are not only good for today, but for the future.

“When I made the decision to purchase these mobile hospital units, it wasn’t as a precaution. The models we were seeing were really scary to look at, from a hospital bed capacity (perspective).”

Kemp said Georgians have flattened the curve and allowed hospitals to buttress bed capacity by following state guidelines.

“Depending on what model you look at, we’ve passed our peak,” he said. “Our numbers continue to look really good in Georgia, which is why we decided a little over a month ago to reopen our economy... The effects of our economy and the effects of people not coming to get health screenings, treatments and surgeries that they need were starting to outweigh the virus itself.”

Kemp encouraged Georgians to avoid large gatherings, practice social distancing and wear masks.

“Just be smart. Go to places that are following the guidelines, that have sanitary measures in place, that are taking care of their patrons,” he said. “I’m not saying we’re going to be arresting people on the sidewalk if you walk within six feet of people.

“We’re not a nanny state here in Georgia. We want people to be responsible and to be smart. I’m trying to lead by example. It’s a good idea to wear a mask, not to protect you but to protect others from you if you happen to have the virus and don’t know it. Not everybody wants to do that, and I get that. I don’t think we need to start pointing fingers at people.”

He said a second COVID-19 wave could be avoided if Georgians follow public health guidance and use common sense.

After speaking in Macon, Kemp left to tour two companies in Columbus.

Middle Georgia case update

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 1,876 positive COVID-19 cases in Middle Georgia in its 1 p.m. update Wednesday, up 27 from 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

Bibb County leads the area with 439 total cases. Baldwin County has 25 deaths, the most in Middle Georgia.

State health officials have not provided a breakdown of the residents tested for COVID-19 in each county. The state is also not tracking the number of people who have recovered from COVID-19.

Here’s a breakdown of cases and deaths by county:

At 1 p.m., the state of Georgia reported 44,421 confirmed cases and 1,907 deaths, with 92 of those in Middle Georgia.

For the full update from the state of Georgia click here.

Remdesivir provided to Middle Georgia hospitals

The Georgia Department of Public Health is distributing 18,440 vials it received from the federal government o 85 hospitals in Georgia, including several in Middle Georgia.

According to a release from DPH, “Remdesivir is an antiviral medicine being used to treat hospitalized patients with serious symptoms caused by COVID-19 like low oxygen levels or pneumonia. It has been found to shorten the duration of disease in patients being treated in inpatient hospital settings. Remdesivir is given intravenously (IV) and decreases the amount of coronavirus in the body, helping patients recover faster.”