Posted Saturday, March 21, 2020 9:30 pm

The Bartow County School System has been notified by public health officials of a confirmed employee COVID-19 case at Hamilton Crossing Elementary School.





The Department of Public Health has a team of epidemiologists investigating and assisting in the notification of staff and students who were at risk for possible exposure.





The school system says the news will not impact meal services offered at Hamilton Crossing Elementary School during the extended school closure, and the staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 has had no exposure to school nutrition services or meal distribution.





"We are making every effort to keep you as informed as possible, while also respecting and adhering to pertinent privacy laws,” the Bartow County School System announced Friday. "All facilities and meal distribution materials are thoroughly cleaned daily using commercial grade disinfectants approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."





As of noon Saturday, the number of coronavirus cases in Bartow County increased to 56, two more since 7 p.m. on Friday.





Statewide, the number of cases of coronavirus cases in Georgia has moved past 500, the state Department of Public Health reported Saturday.





As of noon Saturday, 14 Georgians had died of COVID-19, up from 13 the day before. The agency reported 507 cases, up from 420 at the same time Friday.





Women accounted for slightly more cases than men. The age breakdown showed that 41% of cases in Georgia occurred among those between the ages of 18 and 59, while 33% were age 60 or older.





More than 3,000 tests for COVID-19 had been administered as of noon Saturday, 772 by the DPH and 2,292 by a commercial lab.





Coronavirus has expanded to 56 counties, up from 50 on Friday. Fulton County continued to have the most with 92 cases, followed by Bartow with 56, Cobb County with 49, Dougherty County with 46, DeKalb County with 37, and Gwinnett County with 23.





While state health officials are continuing to urge Georgians to keep their distance from others, no stay-at-home mandates have been imposed statewide. The number of states that have implemented such orders grew to four on Friday: California, New York, Illinois and Connecticut.





















Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick tests positive for coronavirus





A second state senator has tested positive for coronavirus.





Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R-Marietta, announced on her Facebook page Friday night that she began to self-quarantine last Saturday night after developing a fever. She was tested for COVID-19 on Sunday, and the result came back positive on Friday.





Kirkpatrick stayed home from the General Assembly’s one-day special session on Monday, as lawmakers ratified Gov. Brian Kemp’s declaration of a public health emergency in Georgia.





“I have followed the strict protocol recommended by [the Georgia Department of Public Health] and am comfortable that I have not put anyone at risk,” Kirkpatrick wrote. “Although I am in the at-risk age group, I am blessed to be very healthy and thankful that I am recovering without complications.”





All senators and their staffs were recommended to self-quarantine after Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday.





























Kemp authorizes emergency license procedures





Governor Brian Kemp and Department of Driver Services (DDS) Commissioner Spencer R. Moore announced an emergency operation plan for the agency, which includes a 60-day extension for many Georgians with a driver’s license and/or ID card nearing expiration. All driver’s license and ID cards with an expiration date before June 30 will receive an extension of 60 days to renew.





Along with the extended expiration dates, the DDS customer service centers will cease customer-facing services until further notice.

“To maintain a safe and healthy environment for our citizens and the DDS Team who assist them at the Centers, this is an important step,” Kemp said of the decision. "Having an extension allows hundreds of thousands of Georgians to legally drive and have proof of identity during this emergency period while DDS centers are closed.”