Updated at 6:28 p.m. Tuesday
More than 170,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine produced by Moderna are expected to arrive in Georgia this week as state officials continue to caution against large Christmas gatherings.
Frontline health care workers and those who work at long-term care facilities are receiving vaccinations first. It could be months, officials say, before the general public has access to the vaccines.
“I’m hoping this is the beginning of the end of this pandemic for us here in Georgia,” said Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the state’s public health commissioner. “But it’s going to require full cooperation of not only all our providers but of all Georgians to take part in this.”
Toomey says, the Moderna vaccine is easier to store than the one from Pfizer, meaning it can be sent to more areas of the state.
“There were parts of rural Georgia, including our own public health departments, that weren’t able to receive them,” said Toomey of the Pfizer vaccine, which has to be stored at lower temperatures. “With now the Moderna vaccine, we can literally cover the state with vaccinations, and we’re very excited to begin that process.”
Toomey and Gov. Brian Kemp spoke Tuesday at Emory University, where a clinical trial was held earlier this year for the new Moderna vaccine.
Dr. Jonathan Lewin, CEO of Emory Healthcare, said the development of the two COVID-19 vaccines reflects the “cooperation and unyielding perseverance of the diverse teams from our government and our academic communities along with private industry, all of whom continue their dedication to solve this problem.”
The Department of Public Health announced it would be sharing information on how many doses of the vaccines have been given across Georgia through an online dashboard.
Rising Cases, Fewer Hospital Beds
Kemp also announced Tuesday the state will be reopening a temporary medical facility at the Georgia World Congress Center to relieve stress from hospitals amid rising cases of the coronavirus.
Kemp says the 60-bed facility should be open by next week.
“In concert with a rise in cases and hospitalization due to COVID as well as other procedures, our hospitals have seen an increased need for bed space to treat other patients,” Kemp said.
Kemp said an additional $70 million in state money will used to augment hospital and nursing home staffing through early March. He also said the new stimulus bill will allow for $8 million more in federal dollars to go toward staffing at Georgia hospitals and long-term care facilities.
Kemp says Georgians can help limit the further spread of COVID-19 by keeping Christmas gatherings to small groups or by getting together virtually.
“We cannot let up,” said Kemp. “We have to continue to focus on celebrating safely to get us through the holidays as normal and as quickly as possible so that we can continue the methodical reopening of our economy and weathering this COVID storm until we get everyone in this state vaccinated.”
