Most Georgians Must Wait Months For Coronavirus Vaccine: Kemp

GEORGIA — Georgians received much anticipated news on Tuesday when Gov. Brian Kemp announced when the coronavirus will make its way to the Peach State. However, for most of the state's population, the chance to get vaccinated against the coronavirus may not become available for months.

During a news conference Tuesday, Kemp said the earliest shipment of the vaccine could make its way to Georgia within 7-10 days. That first shipment will go to the most vulnerable population, including the elderly and healthcare workers, he said. After that, the vaccination will be given to essential workers and people 65-and-over.

As for the rest of the public, Kemp said it will likely take months for enough vaccinations to arrive in Georgia for every citizen to receive.

"The general public will not be able to be vaccinated for months," Kemp said on Tuesday.

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He stressed the importance of washing hands, social distancing and mask wearing, albeit not mandating face coverings, to lower the risk while citizens wait for the vaccine.

Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey said the state will receive several batches of the vaccine, with the first expected to have several hundred thousand dosages. More shipments will arrive to the state, but also that the public should be aware they will need multiple doses which may cause side effects.

GEORGIA CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS FOR DEC. 8, 2020

The Georgia Department of Public Health in Atlanta reported a total of 452,369 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 virus at 3 p.m. Tuesday. According to the health department's website, that includes 3,686 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours.

Georgia has reported 9,027 deaths so far from COVID-19, with 20 more confirmed deaths recorded in the last 24 hours.

All Georgia statistics are available on the state's COVID-19 website.

Globally, more than 67.9 million people have tested positive for COVID-19, and more than 1.55 million people have died from it, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday.

In the United States, more than 15 million people have been infected and more than 285,000 people have died from COVID-19 as of Tuesday. The U.S. has only about 4 percent of the world's population but more confirmed cases and deaths than any other country.

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