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By Dave Williams
Bureau Chief-Capitol Beat News Service

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp Thursday ordered Georgia’s public schools closed through April 24 as cases of coronavirus continue to rise.

“I am deeply grateful to State School Superintendent Richard Woods, the Georgia Department of Education, superintendents, and parents for keeping us informed and helping us make the right decision for our students,” Kemp said in a prepared statement.

“Throughout this process, we will continue to seek the advice of public health officials, school leaders, and families to ensure the health and safety of the educational community. As we approach April 24, 2020, we ask for continued patience and flexibility since circumstances may change, but we encourage families to stay strong and follow the guidance of federal, state, and local leaders in the weeks ahead.”

Georgia’s public colleges and universities and technical colleges, which were shut down earlier this month for the rest of the current semester, will continue to provide online instruction.

As Kemp made his announcement on the schools, 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 with 115, Bartow County with 86 and Gwinnett County with 75.