Coronavirus in Georgia: Latest updates from Atlanta, state

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is committed to providing our readers with the most comprehensive coverage of the deadly coronavirus.

This blog will be updated throughout Monday, April 13, with news and details of COVID-19 in Georgia.

» Complete coverage: Coronavirus

7 p.m.:

Georgia recorded 16 new coronavirus-related deaths since noon, bringing the state’s toll to 480, Chelsea Prince and Zachary Hansen report.

In addition, 306 more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, which brings Georgia’s total to 13,621. Of those, 2,702 patients have been hospitalized at some point, which is about 19.8% of all cases.

7 p.m.: The rapid spread of COVID-19 across the United States, which now leads the world in cases, is raising fresh questions about how much air travel contributed to the nation's outbreak. Chris Joyner, Kelly Yamanouchi and Nick Thieme break it down for you.

6:30 p.m.: Gov. Brian Kemp said Monday it's too early to tell when he will start to lift coronavirus restrictions on economic activity, as health experts raised concerns about President Donald Trump's hope to reopen the U.S. economy as early as next month. Greg Bluestein has details from Kemp's press conference.

5:30 p.m.:

Georgia transit agencies will receive $522 million in federal aid as they cope with declining revenue and other problems, David Wickert reports.

The money for Georgia is part of $25 billion set aside for mass transit in a massive federal coronavirus response package approved by Congress and signed by President Donald Trump.

2:30 p.m.: A nonprofit animal shelter in Atlanta has taken in dozens of pets from several Georgia animal shelters that have closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. J.D. Capelouto has the details.

Noon:

Newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus have pushed Georgia’s number of infections past 13,000 Monday, Chelsea Prince reports.

According to the latest data from the Georgia Department of Public Health, officials have confirmed 13,315 cases and 464 deaths related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus.

11:30 a.m.:

More Georgia schools will end their year early after closing down campuses for coronavirus, Ty Tagami reports. F

our more school districts and two state charter schools are saying they will also end early.

10:15 a.m.:

Four Fayetteville firefighters are in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, the city’s mayor said. Asia Simone Burns reports

Mayor Ed Johnson confirmed the diagnosis in a virtual update addressed to Fayetteville residents.

10 a.m.: It's one of the minor ironies of the coronavirus pandemic – traffic on metro Atlanta highways is a relative breeze at a time when many of us can't take advantage of it because we're stuck at home. So, too with gas prices, David Wickert reports.

8 a.m.:

MARTA will give thousands of its workers a $500 “hero” bonus for working during the coronavirus outbreak, transportation blogger David Wickert reports.

The one-time money will go to 3,566 employees, including frontline workers — bus and train operators, police officers and others who deal with the public — and others who are unable to work from home during the pandemic.

6 a.m.: Scooters have disappeared from Atlanta's streets, Raisa Habersham reports. Scooter companies were told to remove their devices from city sidewalks after Atlanta's mayor issued the shelter-in-place order last month.

» Coronavirus in Georgia: stats in real time

» This map tracks the coronavirus globally

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