Fulton, Gwinnett each pass 11,000 COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations continue to rise
ATLANTA - Fulton County has now passed 11,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. It joins Gwinnett County, which surpassed the mark over the weekend.
As of Monday at 3 p.m., the Georgia Department of Public Health reports 120,569 confirmed cases statewide since the start of the pandemic, a change of 3,643 cases since Sunday. Deaths from COVID-19 now stand at 3,026, a 24-hour increase of 25.
The GDPH reports since the start of the pandemic, there have been 11,691 confirmed cases in Gwinnett and 11,080 in Fulton. DeKalb has seen 8,618 cases and Cobb has had 7,235. The rest of the counties in Georgia have seen less than 4,000 cases.
Hospitalizations are on the increase again. Emory Healthcare says it saw hospitalization triple over the past few weeks.
Gov. Brian Kemp reactivated the Georgia World Congress Center as a temporary hospital facility for COVID-19 patient overflow Friday. As of Monday, the GDPH reports 13,476 hospitalizations statewide, a 24-hour increase of 217. Counties across metro Atlanta are seeing a daily double-digit increase. The GDPH reports Gwinnett leads the state with 1,351 hospitalizations since the pandemic began, followed by Fulton at 1,264, and DeKalb at 1,099. Cobb County was one case shy of 1,000 hospitalizations as of Monday.
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Monday’s data shows testing remains steady. The GDPH reports 24,551 tests were added on Monday with 15.55% of those being positive, the highest rate seen since the start of the pandemic. The overall positive rate for tests has increased to 9.9%.
Meanwhile, Atlanta's mayor says she is rolling back the city to Phase One of the reopening mandate. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appearing on Good Atlanta on Monday morning says masks will be required in the city now and other social distancing measures lifted just a little more than a month ago will once again be put back into place.
Governor Brian Kemp responded to the mayor's actions on Monday calling it "confusing guidance" to his executive order earlier this month. The governor declined an on-camera interview request with FOX 5 Atlanta, but issued the following statement:
"Mayor Bottoms' action today is merely guidance - both non-binding and legally unenforceable. As clearly stated in the Governor's executive order, no local action can be more or less restrictive, and that rule applies statewide. Once again, if the Mayor actually wants to flatten the curve in Atlanta, she should start enforcing state restrictions, which she has failed to do. We ask citizens and businesses alike to comply with the terms of the Governor's order, which was crafted in conjunction with state public health officials. These common-sense measures will help protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians."
The Gwinnett County Clerk of Court's Office has been closed after officials say a deputy clerk tested positive for COVID-19. Officials say anyone who may have visited the officers from the start of the month through July 10 should be tested. The office will remain closed until July 27
Similarly, Chamblee's municipal court has closed down after an employee tested positive for the coronavirus after attending hearings on July 6. Anyone present for that court date should be tested. All judges, solicitors and court staff will be in self-quarantine for the next 14 days. All court cases through August have been canceled.
RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.
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