By Capitol Beat Service
As Gov. Brian Kemp made his announcement on the school closing extension Thursday, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Georgia moved past 1,500, with 48 deaths reported from the virus.
As of noon Thursday, 1,525 Georgians had tested positive for COVID-19. Of those patients, 473 – or 31% – were hospitalized.
More than 8,900 Georgians have been tested for coronavirus, 1,646 by the state Department of Public Health and 7,280 by a commercial lab.
The virus has spread to 97 of Georgia’s 159 counties. Fulton County has the most COVID-19 cases with 211. Cases in Dougherty County have soared to 156, a huge number considering the county’s population.
DeKalb County was third as of noon Thursday with 129 positive cases, followed by Cobb County (115).