Georgia World Congress Center becomes temporary care facility

ATLANTA - The vacant space at the Georgia World Congress Center is aiding in the fight against COVID-19.

On Sunday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced a partnership with PAE to build a 200-hospital bed facility to address the surge in COVID-19 patients at Georgia's hospitals.

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"Across Georgia, we have partnered with existing healthcare infrastructure to greatly expand our surge capacity, and now we have a dedicated team building out a temporary facility at the Georgia World Congress Center for potential COVID-19 patient surge," said Governor Brian Kemp. "We are working around the clock to prepare for future needs and ensure the health and well-being of our state. I am truly honored to have Georgia's best, brightest, and most dedicated public servants working on this critically important project."

Estimates show Georgia could reach its peak number of coronavirus patients on April 26th, 2020, according to IHME. The Georgia World Congress Center will house patients experiencing mild to moderate (non-ICU) illness levels, excluding ventilator support.

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Several agencies are coming together to make this happen -- the Georgia National Guard, Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, Department of Community Health, Department of Public Health, and assigned contractors.

Medical staff from Grady Memorial Hospital will also support the initial operating capacity in week one. Governor Kemp will provide more details as construction gets underway.

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