With coronavirus cases rising in Georgia, Governor Brian Kemp on Monday announced plans to spend more than $125 million to add staff and increase capacity at hospitals.
Mr Kemp does not require state workers to be vaccinated, nor does he require people to wear masks in public places, indoors, or in schools to help prevent the spread of the virus.
The governor’s announcement came after Georgia’s Department of Public Health reported more than 14,000 coronavirus cases over the weekend and the hospitalization rate continued to rise. Georgia is An average of more than 5,700 new cases a dayIt is the highest since February, and the number of hospitalizations has risen to more than 4,400 daily, according to figures from the New York Times.
Mr Kemp said the funding would give hospitals 1,500 workers at a time when medical centers across the state are short of staff. money will also help to establish 450 new beds For COVID-19 patients in nine regional hospitals. Additionally, Mr. Kemp announced that the Friday before Labor Day weekend would be a September 3 holiday in an effort to encourage state workers to get vaccinated.