Kemp said hospitals are at emergency capacity and urged former covid patients to donate plasma.
“We need the antibodies for continued therapeutical treatments, but this does not mean that this virus cannot kill you or put you in the hospital.”
One bright spot, the state will be able to use the full amount of vaccines, some 120,000 does per week, starting next week, since supplies will no longer be diverted for nursing homes.
“We have now administered over half a million vaccines, but the expanded 1A population accounts for over 2 million people. Those 120,000 doses have to be divided up between 159 counties, 18 public health districts, and over 1,700 providers who are currently enrolled in the system.”
The governor was joined by Georgia Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey. Public health commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey asking health departments and facilities to make sure no doses of the vaccine go unused.
“I’ve actually encouraged many of the health departments to keep a waiting list, calling people in and quickly getting them into the health department and not waste a single dose, this is precious.”
As of Thursday afternoon, there were 701,308 cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, 11,511 confirmed deaths and another 1,378 probable deaths attributed to the virus. Clarke County reported more than 10,300 cases with 78 deaths.
