GA Coronavirus: Testing Done By Local Health Offices, More Cases

GEORGIA — The Georgia Department of Public Health is increasing the number of specimen collection sites statewide for coronavirus testing, and is revising the current testing criteria to handle more testing of Georgia residents.

Effective immediately, all residents who show signs of the coronavirus will be eligible for testing. Health-care workers, first responders, law enforcement and long-term care facility residents and staff will still be prioritized for testing regardless of whether they are or are not symptomatic.

As of Thursday at noon, there have been 587 deaths, 15,669 cases, 3,108 hospitalizations in Georgia. Deaths make up 3.78 percent of Georgia cases. From the numbers released at noon on Wednesday, this is an increase of 682 cases, 186 hospitalizations and 35 deaths.

Fulton County still has recorded the most coronavirus cases thus far, with 1,918 cases and 62 deaths. Dougherty County in southwest Georgia, where Albany is the site of the state's worst hotspot, is second with 1,327 cases but has recorded the most deaths with 83, more than any other Georgia county.

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Referrals are still required, however, there are now two ways to be referred to a Department of Public Health specimen collection site:

Local Health Department Testing

People who meet coronavirus testing criteria may now be referred to Department of Public Health specimen collection sites by contacting their local health department. They will be screened by health department staff and referred to the closest, most convenient specimen collection site. Contact information for local health departments can be found on the Department of Public Health homepage under coronavirus in Georgia.

Health Care Provider Referral

Health-care providers and/or physicians can and should continue to refer patients for coronavirus testing.

People should not arrive unannounced or without a scheduled appointment at a specimen collection site, hospital, emergency room or other health care facility. Only individuals who have been evaluated by public health or a health care provider and assigned a PUI # number will be referred to these drive-thru sites.

The Department of Public Health recommends the following to stop the spread of coronavirus:

• Stay home – the governor has issued a shelter-in-place Executive Order that should be observed by all residents and visitors.
• Practice social distancing – keep at least 6 feet between yourself and other people.
• Wash your hands – use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60 percent alcohol) if soap and water aren’t readily available.
• Wear a mask – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of face masks to help slow the spread of coronavirus, especially where socials distancing is difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.), and especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

According to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, there have been more than 640,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States and 52,000 of those have already recovered, as of Thursday morning. However, there have also been 31,000 deaths. Worldwide there are more than 2 million cases and 139,000 deaths.

See more:

• GA Unemployment Claims Reach Record High In March: Coronavirus
• GA Residents: How To Check Your Stimulus Payment Status
• More Black People Are Affected By The Coronavirus In GA: Report