White County has its first confirmed case of COVID-19.
The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) released its updated list of county infections at noon. That list now includes one reported case in White County. No other public information has been released. “All we know is that we have a confirmed case,” says White County Public Safety Director David Murphy. “We are not advised of any other information.”
The news did not come as a surprise to Murphy or White Countians in general after Murphy reported to county commissioners that first responders had encountered multiple patients with COVID-19 symptoms over the past several days. He warned as he has all along, that it’s not a matter of “if” but of “when.”
“This is our ‘when’,” Murphy said.
There now are confirmed cases of COVID-19 in at least 96 of Georgia’s 159 counties, at least nine of them in Northeast Georgia.
SEE COVID-19 state death toll, confirmed cases
New diagnosis. Same message.
Today’s confirmation that there is COVID-19 in White County does not change officials’ approach to the crisis. “We continue with the same message of following the guidance and restrictions that are in place,” Murphy tells Now Habersham.
Public safety officials urge people to continue to shelter-in-place, self-isolate if sick and avoid close contact with others. They’re also urging people to frequently wash their hands, cover coughs and sneezes and disinfect frequently touched surfaces. The CDC recommends using bleach or alcohol-based cleaning solutions or other common EPA-registered household disinfectants to help guard against COVID-19.
For more information on how to guard against the spread of COVID-19, visit the CDC and Georgia Department of Public Health websites.
