A second coronavirus patient has arrived at a special park site Gov. Brian Kemp designated for isolating and monitoring people with the disease.
The patient arrived by car at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Morgan County Monday evening. The Georgia Health Department declined to identify the patient, citing federal privacy laws.
The patient tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, at a Georgia hospital and was discharged with instructions to self-quarantine, the county said in a news release.
County Manager Adam Mestres said there were no other patients at the park.
“We have not been advised of any other patients en route, but as you know this is a fluid situation and can change at any time,” he wrote in an email.
Asked how long the patient will remain isolated at the park, a spokeswoman for the state Health Department said quarantine guidelines specify seven days from a diagnosis of COVID-19 or 72 hours after a fever has ended and other symptoms have improved, whichever is longer.
The temporary arrangements at the park were designed to accommodate people without other options, state officials said.
“This site was specifically chosen for its isolation from the general public and ability to house mobile units in the short term,” said GEMA Director Homer Bryson said in a statement.
The newly arrived patient will be monitored by the Georgia Health Department, the county said. The county added the Georgia National Guard would begin taking over “site safety” at the park from the Georgia State Patrol and state Department of Natural Resources.
“This transition,” the county said, “is being conducted in order to place our law enforcement partners back into their respective roles throughout the state.”
The first COVID-19 patient to arrive at the park for isolation, Joey Camp, returned to his home in Canton Sunday after state health officials said he had been asymptomatic for a full week and was considered “cured.”
“That is the new CDC guidance being followed by states,” the state Health Department said. “He was also hospitalized for some time before isolation at the park.”
About the Author
