Hello Ball Ground:
Mayor Roberts was able to participate in another call today with State Officials. For the first time we were really given some concrete numbers especially as it relates to hospitals and anticipated peaking dates.
Officials are now anticipating the virus will peak in Georgia on May 1st. Originally it was April 23rd, then April 20th, now May 1st. Dr Toomey was not disappointed in this as it was attributed to the flattening of the curve and giving hospitals a little more time to prepare for maximum demand. Currently in Georgia we have 5,697 hospital beds still available, we have 851 critical care unit beds available, 2,607 Emergency Room beds available, and we currently have 1,715 ventilators available for use. The director of GEMA said while they are still seeking additional resources, to include personal protective equipment (PPE) they feel like Georgia is well positioned to meet the need at this time. So that was a positive bit of information to take away.
Also, another big plus for our first responders. By next week, 911 call centers should have confidential address listings on any personnel who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the previous 21 days. Moving forward, if Fire/EMS/Law enforcement receive a 911 call to respond to an address, where an occupant has tested positive, they can be notified ahead of time by the 911 dispatcher, allowing more safety precautions to be taken. This will be a major safety boost for our first responders.
Have a great week Ball Ground – Flatten the CURVE!!
Eric
