Albany hospital fills as Georgia infections cross 1,000

The Associated Press / Registered nurses and patient care technicians wait for their next patient to drive up to be tested for the coronavirus in Augusta, Georgia, last week.
The Associated Press / Registered nurses and patient care technicians wait for their next patient to drive up to be tested for the coronavirus in Augusta, Georgia, last week.

ATLANTA (AP) - The number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Georgia pushed past 1,000 Tuesday, with deaths rising to 32, as officials in southwest Georgia's largest city warned that they're out of intensive care space and Georgia's municipalities were urged to impose more restrictions.

The number of positive results surged to 1,026, or 28% over Monday evening's numbers, with southwest Georgia's Dougherty County still reporting the highest per-capita numbers, according to the state Department of Public Health. Infections there rose to 90, a rate that's 10 times as high as Georgia statewide.

In Dougherty County, state officials and the Albany hospital are working to create more intensive care and general beds. Georgia lists 10 of its 32 deaths so far in the mostly rural and poor southwest part of the state.

Dr. Steven Kitchen, the chief medical officer at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital said during a televised briefing Tuesday that the hospital's three ICUs are filled and that the hospital had improvised a fourth 10-bed unit for non-COVID-19 patients. He said that unit was full too, and that on Monday, doctors had to work to discharge patients from the ICU to make room for five patients whose conditions were worsening.

"We continue to see an increase in the number of COVID-19 patients in our care," Kitchen said. "We're quickly approaching the point of maximum capacity. We need a relief valve."

Officials hope that relief valve will be in a second hospital that the system owns across town. Kitchen said the hospital and state officials were working to create new ICU and general beds at its north campus. He said the state is supposed to send nurses to help staff it.

"Trying to find additional nurses at this point, that's precious commodity and a precious resource," Kitchen said.

Georgia officials have already delivered 20 additional ventilators to Phoebe Putney, Kitchen said.

Dougherty County Commission Chairman Chris Cohilas said officials have procured a quarantine facility in a local hotel and are trying to channel patients who have tested positive to the location, which is being secured by soldiers from the Georgia National Guard.

The virus causes only minor flu-like symptoms in most people, who recover in a matter of weeks. But it is highly contagious and can be deadly in some, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health problems. Severe cases are often only able to breathe with respirators, stressing the health care system's capacity to respond.

The Georgia Municipal Association advised all of the state's 538 cities to order curfews from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and close gyms, movie theaters and other businesses.

The association weighed in as new a new order by Republican Gov. Brian Kemp took affect that shuts down bars and nightclubs, prohibits public gatherings of more than 10 people and orders people most at risk of illness or might have been exposed to shelter at home.

Kemp has favored letting local governments decide whether to require stricter limitations. His statewide actions fall short of those issued in most other states, despite pressure from some lawmakers and health experts for tougher measures.

The state Department of Public Health on Tuesday called for volunteers with and without medical training. Medically-trained volunteers may be used to answer COVID-19 questions by phone or help at testing sites. Nonmedical volunteers may be used for administrative or other help.

Some local governments including Atlanta, Albany, and Athens-Clarke County have already adopted restrictions beyond those ordered by Kemp. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson on Tuesday imposed stay-at-home restrictions in the coastal city beginning Wednesday.

"While Governor Kemp's executive actions announced yesterday addressed some of the critical needs in our state, I do not feel that it goes far enough in ensuring the health and safety of our citizens," Johnson told a news conference Tuesday.

Democrats in the state House signed a letter posted Monday to Kemp urging stronger restrictions, and some Republicans feel the same way.

"You hate to contemplate a shutdown because you know it's going to cause economic pain, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston of Blue Ridge told news outlet Fetch Your News on Monday. "But I would prefer that over hearing of them becoming very ill or dying."

Some leaders support the go-slow approach in hopes of limiting economic damage, along the lines voiced by President Donald Trump.

"If we flatten our economy, it's a whole lot easier to shut an economy down than it is to get it started up, and you have to pay for this," Dalton Mayor David Pennington told The Associated Press in a phone interview Monday.

The Georgia Department of Labor has said unemployment filings are much higher than normal, although weekly numbers won't be released until Thursday. But more than a dozen businesses have filed notices with the state in the last week that they're laying off a total of more than 1,200 employees.

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Bynum reported from Savannah, Georgia.

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