The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) reports the first coronavirus-related death in Habersham County. The patient was a 79-year-old female with underlying medical conditions, DPH reports. State health officials did not release any more information than that, but Habersham Medical Center spokesperson Kesha Clinkscale tells Now Habersham the patient did not die at HMC.
Habersham County Emergency Services (HCES) Director Chad Black says “While we are not surprised, we are saddened that we have now had our first death in the county related to Covid-19. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and neighbors who also helped to care for this person.”
As head of HCES, Black is leading the county’s emergency response to the virus.
“We were fortunate at first that we went weeks without even a case reported, and now, just in the last few days, we have gone from two [cases] and no deaths, to 14 [cases] and one death related to this virus,” says Black. “We anticipate over the next week to see our numbers rise even more, but we continue to pray there will be no more deaths as a result of this virus, and those who test positive are able to recuperate and heal.”
Of the 14 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Habersham County, only one of the patients was being treated at HMC as of noon today. The hospital in Demorest has performed at least 95 tests for the virus. Of those, ten tests were positive and six more are pending, according to Clinkscale.
