‘Adequate protocols’ are in place to prevent COVID spread at Fort Benning, Bishop says after tour
In the past four days, Chattahoochee County has reported 223 COVID-19 cases, including 59 new confirmed infections Thursday.
Leaders at the national level have their eyes on Fort Benning, which is one of the Army’s largest training posts and is located mainly in Chattahoochee County. Congressman Sanford Bishop toured Fort Benning on Thursday to observe updated operations in the wake of COVID-19.
Congressman for Georgia’s second congressional district, Bishop serves on the Appropriations Committee and is the vice chairman of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies subcommittee.
He visited Martin Army Community Hospital, watched troops undergo socially-distanced training and had lunch with the new commander, Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe.
Following his tour, Bishop said the Army post has put in place what he feels are “adequate protocols” to protect the trainees, those who are conducting the training and to protect the community from the spread of the virus.
“They have special procedures to meet the trainees in Atlanta at the airport, bring them in separate conveyances to Fort Benning, to isolate them, to test them as soon as they arrive, to quarantine them...and separate out those who may have a positive infection as they prepare to begin their military training,” he said.
Bishop said viewing personnel undergo training for COVID-19 procedures underscores the lengths Fort Benning has taken to make sure training continues safely.
“What we were informed is that they no longer are training in large formations, that they have broken it down to the squad level, which is anywhere from 25 to 35 people, so that they can maintain social distancing,” he said.
The New York Times reports Chattahoochee County had the second-highest number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past seven days in the United States, as of noon Thursday.
Of the county’s 1,277 total cases, 1,015 (76%) are people between the ages of 15 and 24. More than 94% of those infected are male residents, according to data from the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, which uses data provided by the Georgia Department of Public Health, breaks down the county’s cases and deaths by age, sex, race and ethnicity.
Residents and soldiers in training who test positive for the novel coronavirus are counted among Chattahoochee County’s totals, officials at Martin Army Community Hospital and the Georgia Department of Public Health have previously said.
Chattahoochee’s test positivity rate over the past two weeks is 8.9% which has increased over the past several days, according to state health data. The World Health Organization’s recommended test positivity percentage is 5% or less to properly track outbreaks and locate milder cases of the disease.
Muscogee County case breakdown
According to the latest data from the Georgia Department of Public Health, Muscogee County reported 21 new cases and 4 deaths Thursday. A total of 5,547 coronavirus cases and 145 deaths in Columbus have been confirmed since the start of the pandemic.
On Thursday, 305 new viral tests were reported, and Muscogee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 8.1%. Since the start of the pandemic, 11.3% of Muscogee County’s tests have been positive.
According to the data from the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, adults ages 25 to 34 account for 1,157 (about 21%) of Columbus’ cases. That is the largest portion. Female residents account for 3,137 (57%) of the county’s cases. Black residents account for 2,306 (42%) of Columbus’ cases, while the race of about 1,695 (about 31%) cases is unknown.
People ages 65-74 account for the largest portion of COVID-19 deaths in Muscogee County — 43 deaths (30%). Female residents account for the largest portion of deaths with 76 (52%) overall. Black residents account for 75 (52%) of the county’s coronavirus deaths.
Georgia update
Cases: 277,288 (+2,733 reported today). The number of new cases reported in a day may not match the difference in total cases over a 24-hour period. This occurs because previously reported cases may be removed as duplicate reports are corrected. An older confirmed case may also be reclassified as additional information is collected during an investigation.
Georgia reported 2,550 coronavirus cases a week ago on Aug. 27 and 2,812 coronavirus cases two weeks ago on Aug. 20.
Deaths: 5,868 (+75 deaths in 24 hours). It’s important to note that these numbers indicate when deaths are reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health. It does not reflect when these deaths occurred.
Tests: Georgia reported 280,702 total antibody tests and 2,410,665 total viral tests (+29,028 viral tests in 24 hours). These totals don’t account for tests that are not reported through the state’s electronic lab reporting system.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 1,793. That’s a decrease of 66 patients in 24 hours. The count includes any patient in a Georgia hospital who has tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of the report. This count does not include patients who are being investigated for possible infection by health officials.