Cobb County

Cobb County hospital requesting mobile morgue as COVID-19 cases surge

COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County hospital is requesting a temporary morgue as COVID-19 cases skyrocket in Georgia.

Channel 2′s Cobb County Bureau Chief Chris Jose was in Marietta, where Kennestone Hospital is listed as being severely overcrowded on on intensive care and critical care unit diversions.

Doctors said that there are currently more than 200 patients at Kenestone with COVID-19.

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State Representative Erick Allen said he was shocked when the county’s top public health doctor requested the mobile morgue.

“That should bring everyone to a pause,” Allen said. “We’re in a situation where we’re not only putting the strain on our health care system, but we’re also seeing death at a rate we can’t keep up with.”

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The Georgia Department of Public Health does not report COVID-19 numbers on the weekends. Forty-eight new deaths were reported across the state on Friday.

Over the past three weeks, Cobb and Douglas Public Health Director Dr. Janet Memark has sounded the alarm about the delta variant.

“It is very, very contagious,” Memark said. “200% more contagious than the original COVID-19. And it’s going after unvaccinated folks.”

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Leaders in Cobb County are so concerned that they’ve reinstated a mask mandate at government facilities. The mandate does not apply to schools.

Cobb County Schools have reported 1,764 cases of COVID-19 among students and staff since the start of school.

It’s unclear when the mobile morgue will arrive at Kennestone and how many bodies it will hold.

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