New pictures show progress of turning GWCC into temporary hospital for coronavirus patients

ATLANTA — Channel 2 Action News is getting an inside look as crews transform the Georgia World Congress Center in a makeshift hospital for Georgians diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Gov. Brian Kemp said he expects Georgia to hit its peak for the virus on May 1.

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Over the Easter weekend, crews began construction on the makeshift hospital inside the massive convention center in downtown Atlanta.

"The Georgia National Guard, GEMA, Department of Community Health, Department of Public Health and Contractors began preparing the site for potential coronavirus patients," Kemp said Monday during an afternoon news conference.

Preparing for the worst, the governor’s office released new photos Monday showing some of the progress that crews have made since they began building the makeshift hospital.

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The hospital is expected to serve 200 coronavirus patients. The governor says it will only serve patients who are showing mild to moderate symptoms of the virus.

“Construction on those is supposed to be completed by (Wednesday) morning and at that point they’ll start putting the medical equipment inside of those and getting prepared to take care of patients,” said Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency deputy director Mark Sexton.

Critical patients, including those who require ventilators, will all be treated at regular hospitals.

"We’re literally working night and day for surge capacity,” Kemp said.

Georgia’s peak is coming at a time when we’ve already seen more than 13,000 confirmed cases statewide, including more than coronavirus-related deaths.

“We’re scheduled to be ready to receive patients as early as Sunday,” Sexton said.

Georgia National Guard Maj. Gen. Tom Carden said the Guard is also playing a huge role in the construction project they’re staying in close contact with health officials and contractors he told Channel 2 Action News that he and his team are studying the models and want to make sure they’re prepared for the worst-case scenario.

“Looking at that and comparing to the governor's mission statement he gave to us as a team and that's to make sure no Georgian suffers for the lack of not being able to get the appropriate medical care," Carden said.

Last week, Kemp announced that four new mobile medical units and expansions at two hospitals will add nearly 300 hospital beds across the metro.

“I pray to God we don’t need it, but if you wait until you have perfect information on the future, we’ll be in a position where we wont have enough time,” Carden said.

Channel 2 investigative reporter Mark Winne contributed to this article.

Gov. Kemp: Testing capacity for coronavirus ?unacceptable,? expands screening criteria Kemp ordered the expansion of criteria for screening to include asymptomatic people who have had direct contact with coronavirus patients and workers in critical infrastructure.

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