Rockmart man first COVID-19 death in Polk County
A Rockmart man was identified as the first person to have died of COVID-19 locally that is known, according to Polk County Coroner Tony Brazier.
Filiberto E Galdamez, 67, of a Rockmart address died on May 8 from the virus, Brazier reported. With the requirements from the Georgia Department of Public Health to undergo a verification process, it took until near month’s end to provide the full information on the death.
He passed away at his home. Brazier said that at the urging of the Coroner’s office, family members along with EMS staff and police
officers who responded to the death call have all been tested for COVID-19 and are negative for the virus.
Galdamez’s death is the first reported in Polk County as numbers of people who have tested positive for the virus continue to increase by the day. Over the week, six new cases have been reported from Monday through Thursday each day to bring the tally as of May 29 to 113 people to have tested positive for COVID-19 since numbers began being reported by the state.
The virus has required 13 people locally to be hospitalized for treatment.
That is just a very small percentage of the 7,852 people who have undergone treatment for the virus statewide, and out of that some 1,780 patients have been treated in intensive care units.
Georgia’s death toll from COVID-19 was at 1,974 people as of the midday report of May 29 as well.
Some 45,670 people have tested positive for the virus in Georgia out of the 532,007 tests administered. That brings the rate down to 8.5% of those who have been tested to come back positive for COVID-19.
Around the area, the figures continue to climb for positive tests as well. Bartow County now has 470 people who have tested positive for COVID-19, and remained at 135 people hospitalized for the virus and 38 deaths. Paulding County now has 318 people with COVID-19, and out of that 67 patients have been hospitalized and 11 deaths reported.
Floyd County had 259 positive tests come back for COVID-19 as of the morning of May 29, with 43 people hospitalized so far and 15 deaths. Haralson County reported 43 cases, 11 hospitalizations and two deaths.
Nationwide, the numbers as of May 29 were nearing 1.7 million people who have tested positive for COVID-19, and reported more than 100,000 deaths according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The latest figures come after a Governor Brian Kemp press conference this afternoon where he announced his intention to keep the Public Health State of Emergency that was declared on March 14 continuing through July 12. The goal of state officials with the extension is to provide frameworks to continue public-private partnerships in several areas and to have flexibility in the response to the pandemic.
He also signed a new order that provides further guidance for overnight summer camps, summer school and to get other businesses that have been shuttered back open in an effort to continue making progress toward recovering economically from shutdowns that have impacted the globe.
It does continue encouraging people to wear face masks in public to mitigate the spread, and to keep some guidelines in place for ensuring health and safety of customers and workers. One area that is going to change is in the size of public gatherings that will be allowed, increasing from 10 to 25 people.
He pointed specifically at small weddings, recreation sports and other events that would be able to resume with smaller crowds, though “we are asking everyone to stay vigilant,” Kemp said. Live performance venues will remain closed, and Kemp and state officials are asking people to continue taking precautions like washing their hands regularly and keeping distance from people while out in the wider world.
“Please continue to follow public health advice as you engage in these activities,” Kemp said. “Wash your hands, keep your distance, wear a mask if possible, and protect the elderly and medically fragile from exposure.”
For overnight summer camps, bars and nightclubs, there are more than 30 requirements they must meet before they can reopen to the public for business, specifically focused on each type’s industry standards and specific measures meant to hinder the exposure to and spread of COVID-19 to customers and employees.
Kemp additionally provided guidelines on sports leagues — amateur and professional alike — will be able to get back to business starting on June 1 if they meet the requirements of their professional or amateur leagues, or in the case of recreation sports if they can meet the minimum guidelines for a non-critical infrastructure business to reopen.
That will be unlikely with gatherings increasing to no more than 25 people.
He provided additional thoughts remaining safe during in-person religious services, and also on the continued increase of having remdesivir for patients being treated for COVID-19, among other items.