ATLANTA (AP) – Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday that he’s set up a task force to assess the state’s preparations for addressing any potential coronavirus cases.
The 18-member task force will work on preventative measures, resource deployment and collaboration with other government agencies, the Republican governor said in a statement. It includes Colleen Kraft, director of the Clinical Virology Research Laboratory at Emory University, and state epidemiologist Cherie Drenzek.
“We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best on this,” Kemp said at a news conference after the announcement.
He said the task force would hold its first meeting later Friday.
Kemp was on a phone call with Vice President Mike Pence earlier in the day about the Trump administration’s efforts to combat the virus, according to the governor’s office.