ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp has ordered the construction of a new quarantine space in Monroe County.
The facility is being built on the grounds of the Georgia Public Safety Training Center on Indian Springs Drive in Forsyth.
[READ: Coronavirus cases in Georgia up to 42; state creates site for reporting numbers]
Once construction is done, the quarantine facility will be able to house up to 20 units of coronavirus patients.
Channel 2’s Justin Wilfon went to Monroe County where he found crews hard at work building the campus for people who are unable to self-isolate if they contract COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.
“There are some people who don’t have the means or may push themselves or cause more problems if they don’t have a place to go,” said neighbor Barry Newman, who lives just down the road. “I think they have to go somewhere so it doesn’t really concern me. I’ve got good faith.”
In a statement, Gov. Brian Kemp said, "this is one of many measures that we're taking to prepare for any scenario.”
A Homeland Security spokesperson told Wilfon the work began several days ago.
[READ: CORONAVIRUS IN GEORGIA: What’s happening today]
The state also said it will work to protect the health and safety for those who live near the facility as the coronavirus crisis makes its way to rural Georgia.
“Rural areas, you feel like they’re pretty insulated, that this is a big city problem,” Newman said.
Wilfon asked the governor’s office how long this will take to build. A spokesperson told him that’s still unclear.
The number of cases of presumed positive and positive cases in Georgia increased from 38 to 42 since Thursday night.
Most of the ages of patients are people 18 to 59. Forty five percent are 60 years or younger, 45 percent are 60 years or over.
Here is the breakdown of the confirmed cases:
- Bartow (4)
- Charlton (1)
- Cherokee (2)
- Cobb (8)
- Coweta (1)
- DeKalb (5)
- Fayette (5)
- Floyd (1)
- Fulton (8)
- Gordon (2)
- Gwinnett (2)
- Lee (1)
- Lowndes (1)
- Polk (1)
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