Coronavirus strikes in Fulton County, Georgia’s first cases

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    ATLANTA, GA (WGCL) — Monday evening Governor Brian Kemp confirmed that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has positively identified two Georgia residents with the coronavirus.

These are the first confirmed cases in the state.

“Georgians should remain calm,” said Kemp. “We were ready for today. We’ve been preparing as you know for several weeks now, and so far and every development has come forward just as we expected it would,” he added.

During a press conference, Gov. Kemp said both victims live in the same household. One of the victims recently returned home from a trip to Italy. As a precaution, both have been isolated in their homes.

On Friday, Feb. 28, Gov. Kemp announced a task force was put in place to assess the state’s preparations and procedures.

“COVID-19 continues to present a low risk to Americans,” said Kemp, who referenced a conversation he had with Vice President Mike Pence earlier in the day.

Dr. Kathleen Toomey, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health, said state health officials and Gov. Kemp learned about the Fulton County cases of coronavirus just hours before the press conference.

Dr. Toomey added that the traveler was aware of the risk of contracting coronavirus and notified a physician.

“We knew that Georgia would likely have confirmed cases of COVID-19, and we planned for it. The immediate risk of COVID-19 to the general public, however, remains low at this time,” emphasized Dr. Toomey.

The virus that first rock China has become a global concern with people impacted on multiple continents. The respiratory virus is spread through the air by an infected person coughing and sneezing. Symptoms of the virus appear between two and 14 days of exposure.

Across the U.S. more than 100 cases of the virus have been confirmed, including six deaths in the state of Washington.

Though the symptoms are similar to the flu, those considered most at risk are individuals traveling to areas where ongoing outbreaks.

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