DeKalb County will distribute 10,000 COVID-19 “care kits” this week, giving masks and hand sanitizer to residents in areas hit hard by the pandemic.
“The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued a stern warning encouraging citizens to take all necessary precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 during the Thanksgiving holiday,” DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said in a news release. “The DeKalb County Government and the Board of Health are redoubling our ongoing efforts to educate and protect our residents.”
Each kit will include two non-surgical masks, hand sanitizer and a card with tips on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19, officials said. The county has distributed a total of 80,000 such kits since the pandemic hit in March.
The latest distribution was scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Wednesday and will be held at the DeKalb County Police Department’s South Precinct, located at 2842 H.F. Shepherd Drive in Decatur.
Across Georgia, more than 400,000 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19. More than 8,600 Georgians have died.
As of Monday, DeKalb County has had the fourth-most confirmed cases of the virus in the state. Deaths reported in the county had reached 430.
“We are in the middle of a health crisis unlike anything we’ve seen in a century,” DeKalb County health director Dr. S. Elizabeth Ford said. “Working together and following the advice and guidance of health experts will mitigate the effects and consequences of this nefarious disease.”
Residents experiencing headache, fever, cough, shortness of breath, muscle aches, loss of sense of smell or taste, or sore throat, or who think they might have been exposed to COVID-19 are urged to call 404-294-3700, Option 1, to be scheduled for a test for COVID-19.
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