MACON, Ga. — At a Monday press conference in Atlanta, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp talked about his plans to start re-opening many state businesses by the end of the week. He cited a decrease in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
"According to the Department of Public Health, reports of emergency room visits for flu-like illnesses are declining, documented COVID-19 cases have flattened and appear to be declining, and we have seen declining emergency room visits in general," said Kemp.
But taking a closer look at the daily numbers provided by the state, you won't find a consistent decline in the number of new cases being reported in Georgia.
13WMAZ has been tracking new cases since March 2, 2020.
We plugged that data into a chart, and you can see a clear peak in deaths and hospitalizations around April 7th.
But there have also been several ups and downs since then, and no steady trend.
In fact, the state seemed to hit a second peak on April 17th when more than 1,500 new cases were reported.
Dr. Carlos Del Rio, infectious disease expert at Emory University, tweeted Saturday that it looked like Georgia had passed the "peak" for hospital bed utilization capacity and that social distancing is working, but that it needs to be kept in place until June 15th.
"If we don't continue doing what we're doing and remove restrictions right now, we will get another peak. It will simply come right back," says del Rio.
Kemp's orders say that some businesses like gym, barbers, and bowling alleys can open as soon as this Friday, but they must still adhere to social distancing and regular sanitization.
The president's coronavirus task force says states must see at least two weeks of a downward trajectory in confirmed cases or positive tests to begin reopening. When asked if Georgia meets that standard, the Governor's office responded by e-mail. See statement below.
"Please review the Governor’s speech. As the Governor has previously stated, there are numerous models and they vary. We are consulting numerous models, data, and public health officials to inform our decision-making. Dr. Kathleen Toomey is an excellent resource for the Governor during this time. Her credentials are impressive, and she is nationally renowned for her work. No further comment from us."
Candice L. Broce
Director of Communications & Chief Deputy Executive Counsel
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