As the state prepares for a continued patient surge due to the coronavirus, Habersham County is seeing a surge of its own.
As of today, April 14, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) reports 28 Habersham residents now have COVID-19. That’s up from seven just one week ago.
Of those 28 confirmed cases, 18 were identified through testing at Habersham Medical Center (HMC), says hospital spokesperson Kesha Clinkscale. One patient is being treated at the hospital while 17 others are on self-quarantine.
Due to patient privacy laws, DPH does not divulge patients’ names and locations, so, the status of the other ten individuals is not publicly known.
To date, HMC has tested 130 people for the coronavirus.
One Habersham County resident – a 79-year-old woman – has died from COVID-19. She passed away the week of April 10. Information released by DPH indicates she had underlying medical conditions that may have been complicated by the virus.
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Northeast Georgia stats
The death toll from the coronavirus in Georgia now stands at least 524, according to DPH. At least 26 of those deaths are in Northeast Georgia.
The virus has killed at least 12 people in Athens-Clarke County and five in Forsyth. It’s also being blamed for the deaths of residents in Barrow, Jackson, Dawson, Madison, and Union counties.
Athens-Clarke County has the state’s 8th highest death rate.
Hall County has the state’s 7th highest infection rate now with 363 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Despite the high number of cases, DPH reports that no Hall County residents have died as a result of the virus.
Across Northeast Georgia, the number of residents with COVID-19 continues to rise. Stephens County now has 24 confirmed cases, up from 13 on April 7. White County saw a smaller rise in its infection rate over the same time period – from 10 to 14. There are now 8 confirmed cases of the virus in Banks, Towns, and Union counties. Rabun County has 7 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
SEE latest county-by-county statistics here
Healthcare workers bearing the load
While much has been written about the strain the coronavirus pandemic is putting on healthcare workers, Clinkscale says local hospital employees are bearing up under the weight of the crisis.
“HMC is fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated workforce. Despite the uncertainties of this pandemic, our employees show up every day to save lives,” she says.
Clinkscale says the hospital staff has been buoyed by support from the local community. Individuals, schools, churches, and local businesses have showered employees with “meals, masks, prayers and other kind gestures that have truly lifted our spirits.”
Donations of home-sewn masks also are proving particularly helpful as healthcare workers face an ever-dwindling national supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
“We are using our PPE in accordance with CDC guidelines,” Clinkscale says. The hospital’s clinical staff members are preserving their N95 face masks by shielding them beneath hand-sewn masks donated to the hospital by members of the local community. The hand-sewn masks also are being distributed to non-clinical staff as every employee is now required to wear a face mask while on campus.
The peak of the pandemic in Georgia is now expected to be May 1, according to new modeling by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. And as local hospital employees prepare to treat even more patients, Clinkscale says “We are encouraged and strengthened by the outpouring of support from those who live and work in this community.”
This article has been updated to include additional information
