Governor extends shelter in place order, primary election date changed and Piedmont prepares
As Gilmer County residents worked through a third week of sheltering in place changes are continuing around the county and state.
As of Friday April 10 at noon, the Georgia Department of Health reported 11,483 of known COVID-19 (Coronavirus) cases in the state with 416 deaths and 2,351 hospitalizations. Gilmer County is listed with four known cases.
Here are some stories the Times-Courier is covering:
Shelter order
On April 8, Gov. Brian Kemp extended the Public Health State of Emergency through May 13 and the Shelter in Place order for the state of Georgia through April 30. He also imposed more restrictions on nursing homes to encourage protection of the elderly.
Cabin rentals addressed
Gov. Kemp suspended short-term and vacation rentals in the state of Georgia through April 30. The only exception was for those who had already paid for their reservations in full before the order was enacted.
The order will halt cabin rentals in Gilmer County for the time period.
Primary change
Following the governor’s announcement, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced on April 9 he would postpone the primary election for Georgia from May 19 to June 9.
“This decision allows our office and county election officials to continue to put in place contingency plans to ensure that voting can be safe and secure when in-person voting begins and prioritizes the health and safety of voters, county election officials, and poll workers,” he said.
Hospital prepares
Piedmont Mountainside continues to prepare for COVID-19 cases locally. The staff is looking at projections from four to 12 weeks out.
A mobile unit was installed in the parking lot last month for emergency cases which do not have respiratory symptoms.
What to do
If someone suspects they have symptoms of COVID-19, which can include fever with cough and shortness of breath, they should call their Primary Care Physician. If symptoms are mild, continue to maintain a 14 day self-quarantine and avoid contact with others.
Piedmont Healthcare has set up a hotline for people experiencing symptoms to get more information. If you are experiencing symptoms, you can call 1-866-460-1119 to speak with a Piedmont nurse who can share information and get testing for people who need it.
If someone is very ill and needs to go to the hospital, they should go to the Emergency Department. They should call the Emergency Department first, if possible, and mask themselves.
Piedmont Healthcare has also established a website where people can go to learn more: https://www.piedmont.org/covid-19/about.
Staff at the Times-Courier is continuing to cover events of importance to the people of Gilmer County. Please see next week’s edition for stories on these subjects.