Gov. Kemp recommends Georgia nursing homes restrict visitors

ATLANTA — Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said Monday that he is recommending that nursing homes, assisted living communities and personal care homes to stop allowing visitors.

The governor said in a statement that in light of the high mortality rate among the elderly and chronically ill who contract COVID-19, "we are urging long-term care facilities in the State of Georgia to restrict all visitors, volunteers, and non-essential personnel except for certain compassionate care situations, such as end-of-life situations, to protect their residents from the potential spread of the virus."

Kemp encouraged facilities to make an effort to provide alternate means of communication to family members.

Kemp is also advising healthcare providers to avoid all group activities and communal dining, continue to screen residents for respiratory symptoms and fever and enforce sick leave policies for workers.

The World Health Organization estimates that 21.9% of people over age 80 who contract coronavirus die from the illness.

On Sunday, Piedmont Hospital announced they would be restricting visitors at all of their Georgia hospitals. Each patient is now only allowed two visitors and kids under 13 aren’t allowed to visit patients. The hospital also announced aggressive screening measures for the virus.

Channel 2′s Wendy Corona talked to Dr. Leigh Hamby, the chief medical officer at Piedmont, who said the measures were put into place for everyone’s safety.

“When visitors come on campus, we want to make sure they have no signs or symptoms of a fever or flu or anything like that,” Hamby said.

The hospital starts the screening process with a series of questions about travel history and any contact with anyone with the virus.

“If any of those questions are a yes, we’re going to ask that the patient or family member, visitor, doesn’t go on campus,” Hamby said.

Hamby said mobile triage units are already set up to screen people and entry points have been limited for increased control.

While area hospitals remain fully operational, some have canceled surgeries and some appointments are following suit, so it’s recommended that you call ahead before any appointment you may have scheduled.

Emory, Wellstar, CHOA and Northside Hospitals are all partnered with the Georgia Department of Health to protect staff and patients.

“We are asking people who do not have an absolute medical necessity to come to any facility, to stay home,” Hamby said. Hamby said coronavirus testing is still difficult, but is expected to improve this week. However, he stressed, if last year you had the same mild symptoms you may have now and did not rush yourself to the hospital, then don’t do it now.

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