Coronavirus live updates: Kemp extends health emergency, EAMC celebrates patient in recovery
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in the Chattahoochee Valley. Check back for updates.
Good news from EAMC
A celebration took place at East Alabama Medical Center Tuesday afternoon.
48-year-old Tony Thornton became the first COVID-19 patient at EAMC to recover well enough to be removed from ventilation and moved from the ICU to a regular medical room.
Thornton, who lives in Auburn, was admitted to EAMC on March 20 and intubated, or put on a ventilator. He was extubated on Sunday April 5.
He was wheeled out of the ICU Tuesday, and EAMC employees lined up and down the hallway to cheer him on.
“I am still weak, but feeling pretty good,” Thornton said in a release. “I talked to my wife for the first time and that was wonderful.”
In addition to Thornton being moved out of ICU, 29 other hospitalized COVID-19 patients have been discharged from EAMC, the hospital reports.
Kemp, Duncan, Ralston announce plans to extend public health state of emergency
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan and House Speaker David Ralston announced plans Wednesday to extend Georgia’s public health state of emergency through May 13, to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Under state law, the governor may renew the public health state of emergency, which was otherwise set to expire on April 13. Lt. Gov. Duncan and Speaker Ralston agree it is necessary for the public health emergency to be renewed and will not be requesting a special legislative session, which was tentatively scheduled for April 15, 2020, according to Kemp’s office.
“This measure will allow us to continue to deploy resources to communities in need, lend support to frontline medical providers, and keep preparing as we brace for potential patient surge in our healthcare facilities,” Kemp said. “We deeply appreciate the hard work of Georgians who are sheltering in place, using social distancing, and helping us flatten the curve. We are in this fight together.”
The extension does not include the shelter-in-place order.
METRA to receive nearly $7 million in federal coronavirus relief funds
The state of Georgia is set to receive $448 million in transit assistance funds from the federal coronavirus aid package signed into law by President Donald Trump on March 27, and Columbus’ METRA transit system will be receiving $6,987,789 of that.
According to a release from the Federal Transit Administration, the funds can be used for operating expenses incurred beginning January 20, including expenses to maintain transit services as well as paying for administrative leave for transit personnel due to reduced operations.
Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson said department heads have been scouring state and federal websites looking for emergency funds to help recover costs incurred due to the coronavirus.
“Our METRA folks identified that federal transit money and applied for it,” Henderson said. “We’re going to continue to do that, we’ve charged each one of the department heads to really be vigilant and be looking for any opportunities they can find for us to continue to identify ways to get money for the citizens and for the operations of the government.”
Has crime dropped in Columbus, Phenix City amid coronavirus?
A rare benefit of the COVID-19 crisis may be its impact on burglars: They’re not doing much business now, either.
Other lawbreakers also seem to have hit a dry spell, area law enforcement leaders say, because crime is down overall, both here in Columbus and across the river in Russell County.
Georgia reports more than 700 new coronavirus cases, 14 deaths
The Georgia Department of Public Health at noon Wednesday confirmed 9,901 cases of COVID-19 in the state, up 745 from the last update at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Statewide, 362 people have now died from the novel coronavirus, an increase of 14 confirmed deaths overnight.
This story was originally published April 8, 2020 at 9:53 AM.
