Georgia reports lowest number of COVID patients in a month
FOX NEWS - Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced Saturday that the state had the lowest number of hospitalized coronavirus patients it has seen in just over a month.
"Today marks the lowest number of COVID-19 positive patients currently hospitalized statewide (1,203) since hospitals began reporting this data on April 8th," Kemp tweeted.
"Today also marks the lowest total of ventilators in use (897 with 1,945 available). We will win this fight together!" he added.
Kemp moved forward with his plan to reopen the state late last month, despite initial opposition from President Trump.
"Now, with favorable data and approval from state health officials, we are taking another measured step forward by opening shuttered businesses for limited operations. I know these hardworking Georgians will prioritize the safety of their employees and customers," Kemp previously tweeted. "Together, we will weather this storm and emerge stronger than ever."
Georgia was the first state to reopen any nonessential businesses and the decision also drew backlash from local politicians and health officials, who warned that reopening the state too soon could lead to a possible surge in new coronavirus cases.
In the state of Georgia, there have been more than 32,500 confirmed cases of the virus and over 1,400 deaths, according to Georgia's Department of Public Health.
As of Saturday, there were more than 1.28 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and over 77,000 deaths.