The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 stands at 35,427 and the death toll at 1,511, according to to the evening report from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
MARTA joined other major transit authorities, including New York, New Jersey and San Francisco, calling on Congress to deliver urgent federal aid in the next coronavirus relief package. “Public transit is a critical component to the economic vitality of the regions that we serve, said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker. “While the initial funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act staved off worst case scenarios, more relief is needed to close the enormous budget gap created by unprecedented declines in ridership and revenue caused by this health crisis.” MARTA expects a five-year deficit of $380 million and said federal relief would be needed to maintain its current level of service and keep employees and customers safe.
The Georgia Power Foundation has donated $100,000 to help Augusta University continue ramping up statewide COVID-19 screening and testing efforts to fight the pandemic. Gov. Brian Kemp recently asked Augusta University Health to partner with the Georgia National Guard to coordinate centralized scheduling for multiple COVID-19 specimen point of collection sites around the state. Since March, when Augusta University began its COVID-19 response efforts, over 13,000 hotline calls have been answered, more than 14,000 telemedicine screenings have been completed through the AU Health ExpressCare app and nearly 7,000 specimen collections have been made at drive-thru locations around the state.
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