ATLANTA (AP) – The first coronavirus vaccines were administered Tuesday in Georgia as new infections continued to soar and many schools closed in-person classes for the remainder of the last week before Christmas.
Gov. Brian Kemp and Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey visited Savannah as the first four shots were administered to representatives of the Chatham County Health Department and Savannah’s three hospitals, who will in turn give the shots to coworkers. The Republican governor warned the state is “not out of the woods” as cases continue to soar and many schools sent students home in the face of rising infection and quarantine numbers.
“With cases and hospitalizations now on the rise as we find ourselves going into the holidays, life is anything but back to normal,” Kemp said at a locally televised news conference. “And we still have a long way to go to defeat this virus. But today, Dr. Toomey and I are are thrilled to be here as we take this next step.”
Georgia’s rolling 7-day average of confirmed and suspected virus cases surpassed its summer peak for the 13th straight day, with the state now averaging nearly 6,000 cases a day.
At least 14 Georgia school districts have sent all students home, according to the Georgia Department of Education, canceling in-person classes for the remaining week. Others have sent groups of students, like all those in high schools home, or have closed individual schools.