ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia now has more than 4,000 people hospitalized with COVID-19, with hospital admissions increasing at a pace that raises questions about hospitals’ ability to handle demand.
The numbers rose again Monday as Gov. Brian Kemp highlighted the launch of vaccinations of nursing home employees, starting at a Gainesville nursing home.
“We are eager to see the vaccine make its way quickly and safely to our most vulnerable,” the Republican Kemp said, speaking at a nursing home owned by the Pruitt Health chain, Georgia’s largest nursing home operator.
More than 636,000 Georgians have now tested positive for the coronavirus. The state has moved into the top 20 for most new cases per capita in the last 14 days as infection rates have declined in the Midwest and risen in the South. Nearly 15% of those tested in Georgia have had the virus over the last week, the highest rate since early in the pandemic, although holiday-related changes in testing may be affecting that number.
More than 10,000 Georgians have died from the respiratory illness. While most people recover from the virus, it can be deadly for older patients and those with other health problems. Some people show no symptoms.