GA Coronavirus: Deaths Reach 800, Nearly 1,000 New Cases

GEORGIA — The day after Gov. Brian Kemp announced certain businesses will be able to reopen as early as Friday, Georgia saw an increase of nearly 1,000 new cases of the coronavirus.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, as of Tuesday at noon, there have been 799 deaths, 19,881 cases, and 3,779 hospitalizations in Georgia. Deaths make up 4,02 percent of Georgia cases. From the numbers released at noon on Monday, this is an increase of 934 cases, 229 hospitalizations and 66 deaths.

Kemp acknowledged Monday there is a risk as the state starts allowing certain businesses to reopen Friday, even as Georgia nears 20,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, leaving many concerned.

The governor spelled out a timeline for many types of businesses — from hair salons to restaurants and movie theaters — as well as churches to reopen to gatherings.

Beginning Friday, gyms, fitness centers, bowling alleys, body art studios, barbers, cosmologists, hair designers, nail care artists, estheticians and their schools, and massage therapists can reopen statewide, following social distancing guidelines.

The businesses that are reopening face restrictions, including social distancing and regular sanitation. Businesses that allow more than 10 people at a single location must require at least a 6-foot distance between people.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for reopening, released by President Donald Trump's administration, says that states need to have 14 days of declining new case totals before they can begin easing restrictions.

Kemp said that "due to favorable data and more testing," it's safe for Georgia to take these steps. However, the numbers of deaths, hospitalizations and confirmed cases of coronavirus are still increasing in the state.

Don't miss coronavirus updates in Georgia they are announced — Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Fulton County still has recorded the most coronavirus cases thus far, with 2,208 cases and 82 deaths. Dougherty County in southwest Georgia, where Albany is the site of the state's worst hotspot, is third with 1,446 cases but has recorded the most deaths with 103, more than any other Georgia county. DeKalb County surpassed Dougherty County when it reached 1,534 cases, and 29 deaths.

The Georgia Department of Public Health Lab has tested 5,733 people for coronavirus, with 1,017 positive. Commercial laboratories have tested 82,407 people with 18,864 positive.

Additionally, Kemp said theaters, private social clubs and dine-in services at restaurants will be allowed to reopen Monday, if also following social distancing and sanitation guidelines. He will release a second executive order later this week outlining the restrictions for these services.

The state's shelter-in-place order is still active, Kemp said, and will expire at midnight April 30.

Georgians are advised to wear a mask in public to help slow the spread of the coronavirus. For medically fragile and elderly residents, the shelter-in-place order remains through May 13, the day Georgia's public health emergency expires.

Kemp said in-person church services were never banned, but instead he encouraged online and remote services.

Bars, nightclubs, amusement parks and live-performance venues will remain closed. Kemp said his office will continue to review the data to determine the next steps for these establishments.

According to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, there have been more than 788,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States and 73,000 of those have already recovered, as of Tuesday morning. However, there have also been 42,000 deaths. Worldwide there are more than 2.5 million cases and 171,000 deaths.

See more:

• Details Of Georgia's Controversial Reopening: Coronavirus
• When Hair Salons, Dining, Theaters, Churches Will Re-Open In GA
• GA Coronavirus Update: State May Have Already Reached Peak Deaths