There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, but Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday announced a coronavirus task force to assess the state’s preparations and procedures for preventing, identifying and addressing any future cases.
COVID-19 is a disease caused by a member of the coronavirus family. Latest reports suggest more than 83,000 COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide, nearly 79,000 of them in mainland China. Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, runny nose, cough and difficulty breathing.
“We’re working to ensure that we’re prepared for any scenario,” Kemp said at a news conference. “Georgia, as you know, does not have any confirmed cases of the coronavirus, but we remain very vigilant. We’re asking everyone to remain calm and to follow guidance that we’re getting from federal [officials], and we’ll be getting from state officials as well.”
Kemp said the state has been in preparation mode for weeks. The state has had multiple calls with federal partners, and state agencies have worked together to develop a strategic plan.
The state’s coronavirus task force consists of public- and private-sector leaders and key stakeholders, Kemp said. Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the Georgia Department of Public Health’s commissioner, is the task force’s chairwoman.
“Risk for transmission here in Georgia remains low,” Toomey said. “But I know the question you have today is, will there be cases? We have no way of knowing when or if we will have COVID-19 cases. What we do know is that we have a robust plan in place. A plan initially developed for this type of outbreak.”
Toomey said the state expects to have its own lab capable of doing COVID-19 testing in the next two weeks, when the state gets new test materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Currently, the state has to send tests to the CDC and wait four or five days for the results. Having its own lab would speed up the process for Georgia. To date, the state has sent fewer than 10 tests to the CDC for testing, Toomey said.
Members of Georgia’s coronavirus task force:
• Felipe den Brok, director, City of Atlanta’s Office of Emergency Preparedness
• Homer Bryson, director, Georgia Emergency Management & Homeland Security Agency
• Maj. Gen. Tom Carden, adjutant general, Georgia National Guard
• Chris Carr, attorney general
• State Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, chairwoman, House Health & Human Services Committee
• Greg Dozier, commissioner, Technical College System of Georgia
• Cherie Drenzek, state epidemiologist, Georgia Department of Public Health
• Tim Fleming, chief of staff, Office of the Governor
• John Haupert, chief executive officer, Grady Health System
• John King, insurance and safety fire commissioner, Georgia Department of Insurance
• Colleen Kraft, director, Emory University Clinical Virology Research Laboratory
• Ryan Loke, health care adviser, Office of the Governor
• John Selden, general manager, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport
• Lorri Smith, chief operating officer, Office of the Governor
• Kathleen Toomey, commissioner, Georgia Department of Public Health
• State Sen. Ben Watson, R-Savannah, chairman, Senate Health & Human Services Committee
• Richard Woods, state school superintendent, Georgia Department of Education
• Steve Wrigley, chancellor, University System of Georgia
