BySean Evans|August 19, 2020 at 3:55 PM EDT - Updated August 19 at 5:04 PM
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Coronavirus Task Force numbers reportedly coming from the White House rank Georgia as having the highest rate of new cases of coronavirus in the nation.
The report,obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, says the time frame for the measurement was last week.
The White House Coronavirus Task Force classifies Georgia as a red zone state, based on test positivity rate which is greater than ten percent of COVID-19 cases. The “Nation’s Doctor,” Vice Admiral Jerome Adams spoke with our Cyreia Sandlin about the AJC report and Georgia’s new case rate ranking.
“Georgia right now is in the red,” Adams said. “Cases are leveling off and test positivity is starting to trend down. And that’s thanks to the people of Georgia doing the right thing. But we need you to be aware that you’re in the danger zone and we need people to continue to do the right things.”
Vice Admiral Adams listed the three ‘W’s’: wash your hands, watch your distance, and wear a mask.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp posted to social media Wednesday his thoughts about the on-going COVID-19 efforts in the state.
Talking with local health leaders, Dr. Lawton Davis of the Coastal Health District says he’s aware of the task force report, but said locally, were heading in a better direction.
“The feds put out a report and say Georgia is, we’re number one so to speak which is not necessarily a good thing,” said Dr. Davis. “But for us in Chatham County, and in the Coastal Health District in general, these metrics are in most places still pretty high. But we are trending in the right direction.”
Davis says every morning he gets local case number data from the State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System that not only gives him Coastal Health District case information but also for the whole state. Dr. Davis says for numbers to trend down in the Coastal Health District, it’ll take following local mask mandates, not gathering in large groups and attention to personal hygiene.
Copyright 2020 WTOC. All rights reserved.
Photo: WTOC