There are now six confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in Georgia and seven presumptive cases, according to Gov. Brian Kemp.
Kemp made the announcement at a late afternoon press conference on March 9. Three of those presumptive cases are in Fulton County.
Kemp’s announcement came on the heels of Fulton County Schools announcing it would close all schools on March 10 after a South Fulton teacher tested positive for coronavirus and came into contact with an unknown number of students and staff.
Meanwhile, 34 passengers from Georgia aboard the stricken Grand Princess cruise ship are being transferred and quarantined at Dobbins Air Force Base in Cobb County. The ship has been sitting off the coast of California since Thursday after being refused entry into the port of San Francisco upon returning from Hawaii. Twenty-one of its more than 3,500 passengers and crew have confirmed infections.
On Sunday night, a South Korean national displaying symptoms of coronavirus arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on a flight from Seoul and was detained in the airport’s quarantine area before being transferred to a CDC facility for testing and monitoring. Kemp said passengers and those who might have come into contact with the individual are being notified.
Kemp announced that Hard Labor State Creek Park in east Georgia was being set up as an isolation and monitoring area as more cases of COVID-19 are confirmed.
“We are definitely going to see more cases in Georgia, but we are ready,” Kemp said. “Wash your hands, don’t touch your face, and stay home if you’re sick.”
The coronavirus continues to spread across the United States with more than 560 confirmed cases in 34 states and Washington D.C. The U.S. death toll rose to 22, while the worldwide total approached 4,000, according to USA Today.
