On Monday evening, Governor Brian Kemp, Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Commissioner Kathleen Toomey, MD and state health officials confirmed Georgia’s first cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (or COVID-19), according to a DPH media release. The cases involve two residents of Fulton County that live in the same household. One of them recently returned from a trip to Italy. Both have mild symptoms. They are isolated at home with other relatives to keep the illness from spreading.
Commissioner Toomey indicates, “We knew that Georgia would likely have confirmed cases of COVID-19, and we planned for it. The immediate risk of COVID-19 to the general public, however, remains low at this time.”
Governor Kemp spoke with Vice President Mike Pence on Monday evening about the two confirmed cases in Georgia.
Kemp asserted at a press conference, “We remain in constant communication with our partners at all levels of government, and we will continue to update members of the public as information becomes available.”
This virus spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms appear within two to 14 days after exposure and include a fever, cough, runny nose and difficulty breathing. Those who are considered at risk for contracting the virus are individuals who travel to areas where there have been ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 or individuals who are in close contact with a person infected with COVID-19.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the Centers for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov. Updates are also posted on the Georgia DPH site at www.dph.georgia.gov.