The state of Georgia has set another record with 4,484 confirmed new cases of COVID-19 and 35 deaths in a single day.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s July 10 report, the number of confirmed cases is 111,211, the death toll at 2,965. In Fulton County, the number of cases topped 10,000, while cases are nearing 8,000 in DeKalb.
Hospitalizations in the state jumped by 331 in 24 hours, and the AJC is reporting that Gov. Brian Kemp will reactivate the mothballed field hospital at the Georgia World Congress Center in Downtown. Roughly 80 percent of the state’s beds are filled, straining the healthcare network.
The field hospital was open for a month and housed only 17 patients. Kemp began a much criticized reopening strategy to jumpstart the state economy, which was widely criticized by the public, health officials, and even President Trump.
While cities including Atlanta and Decatur have enacted their own ordinances to require citizens to wear face masks, the governor has dismissed the move as “unenforceable” and has made no move to re-shutter or restrict businesses that might be contributing to the virus spread.
At this point, it is unknown how many cases might have come from the ongoing protests over racial injustice in the wake of the police shootings of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks.
Both Fulton and DeKalb counties have reported long lines for testing and delays of more than a week for results to return.
