Image of COVID-19

COVID-19 has hospitalized 70,777 Georgians and is responsible for 22,263 confirmed or probable deaths.

Credit: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

ATLANTA – With COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations still on the rise in Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp deployed the Georgia National Guard Tuesday to hospitals across the state.

Kemp announced that 105 members of the Guard with medical training will head t0 10 hospitals.

“These guardsmen will assist our frontline health-care workers as they provide quality medical care during the current increase in cases and hospitalizations,” the governor said.

“This Georgia National Guard mission is in addition to the 2,800 state-supported staff and 450 new beds brought online I announced last week, at a total state investment of $625 million through December of this year.”

The Guard personnel will be assigned to the following hospitals:

  • Southeast Georgia Health System in Brunswick
  • Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville
  • Wellstar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta
  • Piedmont Henry Hospital in Stockbridge
  • Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany
  • Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah
  • Navicent Health Hospital in Macon
  • Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta
  • Piedmont Fayette Hospital in Fayetteville
  • Houston Medical Center in Warner Robins

The Georgia National Guard is working with the Georgia Emergency Management Agency and the state Department of Community Health to carry out the mission.

The number of confirmed cases of the virus in Georgia passed 1 million last week and stood at 1,036,304 as of Monday afternoon, according to the state Department of Public Health. COVID-19 has hospitalized 70,777 Georgians and is responsible for 22,263 confirmed or probable deaths.

This story comes to GPB through a reporting partnership with Capitol Beat News Service.

 

Tags: Georgia  Coronavirus  COVID-19  georgia national guard  Atlanta  Macon  Savannah