Governor Brian Kemp has authorized the call of up 2,000 Georgia National Guard troops and declared a public health emergency to aid in the efforts to stop the spread of Coronavirus.
As of Saturday morning, there are now sixty-four cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, which is the state's largest increase over a twenty-four period to date. According to Kemp, most of these cases have no known origin.
"Over the past few weeks, our state has been facing an unprecedented public health threat with the spread of novel coronavirus," he says. "In only a matter of days, communities within the metro-Atlanta area and North Georgia have seen several cases, including hospitalizations, where the source of infection is unknown. Many of these cases have no connection to travel, and the capacity of our healthcare system remains at the forefront of my mind as we prepare for more local transmission," Kemp said.
Kemp authoritized the call of up National Guard troops Saturday afternoon, just hours after declaring the public health emergency.
"Through extensive emergency preparedness training, the brave men and women in the Georgia National Guard stand ready to serve above and beyond their traditional military duties. In states of emergency, they are equipped to take necessary action to protect the health and safety of Georgia families in every region," Kemp said. "To assist with COVID-19 mitigation and critical services, including the transfer of Georgians currently at Dobbins Air Reserve Base to their homes, the Georgia National Guard will now be available to communities to ensure the steady supply of medical equipment, food, shelter, or related materials to keep Georgians safe in the weeks ahead."
He says that the state is continuing to work closely with local healthcare providers, local government officials, private labs, emergency responders, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and federal counterparts. He commits to sharing information with the public in a timely manner and "utilize the resources at hand to respond to this unprecedented health emergency." They have also fully activated the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency’s State Operations Center.
He adds that closures around the state will help protect against the spread of infection. "We have called on daycares and schools to take necessary measures to keep students, teachers, and administrators safe. We have restricted visitation at specific state health facilities as well as correctional and juvenile justice facilities. We have called on faith-based organizations to consider cancellation of services to mitigate the risk of transmission. I have also asked state agencies to immediately implement telework policies for employees who are able to work remotely without causing a disruption in service to Georgians."
Kemp says he is also activating 100 million dollars in emergency funding to address the issue, including providing more testing sites.
Declaring a health emergency assists health and emergency management officials across Georgia by deploying all available resources necessary for prevention and treatment. It also will allow the Department of Public Health to direct specific healthcare action in extraordinary circumstances.
Kemp says he is encouraging the continuation of social distancing. "We have to remain vigilant, especially for our most vulnerable populations," says Kemp. "For weeks now, my team has been working around the clock to make sure that we are ready for any scenario."
Kemp closed his address with a request for prayers. "Please pray for the patients, their loved ones, medical providers, and all of the people working to address this health emergency. We are in this fight together, and because of that, we will be stronger than ever before."
The General Assembly will convene at the State Capitol on Monday March 16 to ratify this action through a joint resolution. Kemp was asking for leaders of both parties in the General Assembly to give their full support to the declaration.
As new information comes in, updates are expected.
