LOCAL, STATEWIDE CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

A total of 3,709 new cases of coronavirus were reported across Georgia on Tuesday by the state’s Department of Public Health, which additionally noted 20 more virus-related fatalities.

According to the latest report by the DPH issued just before 3 pm, there have been 452,369 confirmed cases of COVID-19 statewide. The state’s death toll now stands at 9,027. In Floyd County, there were 5,458 confirmed cases and 84 fatalities. Fulton County had the state’s highest number of confirmed cases with 40,512 and the most deaths with 688.

View the COVID-19 Daily Status Report and get information on testing from the Georgia Department of Public Health at www.dph.georgia.gov.

The Rome City Commission voted on Tuesday in a special called meeting via Zoom to institute an emergency order which requires face coverings in public places within the city in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. The order has received the support of both the Harbin Clinic and Floyd Medical Center. View Tuesday’s meeting in full via the City of Rome, GA – Government page on Facebook.

Governor Brian Kemp gave an update on COVID-19 and the state’s efforts to distribute a vaccine during a press conference that was held on Tuesday at the State Capitol in Atlanta. A limited number of vaccines will arrive in Georgia in the next week to ten days; they will be administered to residents of nursing homes and healthcare workers. The general public will not be able to receive the vaccine for months; therefore, Kemp says the public must continue safety measures to include social distancing and mask wearing. DPH Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey was on hand for Tuesday’s update, which was streamed live and may still be viewed on the Governor’s Facebook page.