Nurse aide training to address staffing problems in longterm care. This program was established with the assistance from the Georgia Healthcare association and allied Health Solutions to provide quick onboarding for nurses aides needed to care for emergencyduring this period. I commend commissioner frank team for his developing the resources for our georgia families. Weeks now, my team has worked closely with the Trump Administration and our federal counterparts to mitigate the impact of this virus in georgia. Decisions and directives are informed by data and Public Health recommendations. Focused onin protecting the lives and the livelihoods of all georgians. To slow the spread of covid19 and prepare for hospital surge capacity, we ask georgians to shelter in place and close businesses throughout our state. Most businesses remain open with restrictions to ensure Community Health and wellbeing. Ourere successful in efforts to protect georgians as well as our States Healthcare infrastructure. With favorable data and approval looked we took a measured step forward by opening many shuttered businesses throughout Georgia Center limited operations. And starting today, theaters may reopen and restaurants and rooms, including those at private social clubs which are dineinto resume, services if they meet certain will helpriteria that continue to prevent the spread covid19. Bars, night clubs, operators of rides and Live Performance venues will remain in placend the shelter order remains, in effect, through april the 30th, 2020. And elderlyagile georgians must continue to shelter in place until at least the 13th and as we assess the situation, we will continue to provide updates. Like to ask all georgians to help us double down fellowecting our vulnerable citizens. As you know, this disease has a effect on these individuals and weve got to raise awareness and take care of those folks and continue to combat the issues that were seeing in the longterm care facilities. Weekend, the department of Public Safety was on call to regarding complaints compliance with the executive orders for specific businesses reopening. On saturday, none of our nine state patrol command centers reported any sustained of noncompliance. On sunday, the Georgia State received 12 calls with only two sustained complaints, of which involved large gatherings. Officers used these awarenessies to raise about social distancing rules, as they have been doing for across our state, and im proud to say that both dispersed. Ntarily georgians have been heeding the advice of our Public Health and our Law Enforcement to ensure the health andwellbeing of customers workers. But we will continue to monitor every region of the state. And before i move on, i want to take a few minutes to thank all in our Law Enforcement community for their work through pandemic. Like our healthcare workers, they have worked long hours to citizens safe in every zip code, and we appreciate sacrifices. I hope you all will continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well as those that are supporting them while theyre away from home. Pray for the loved ones of fallen Smyrna Police officer Christopher Ewing who lost his life in the line of days ago. A few he was certainly beloved by his be missedand he will us. Hem and working with the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of commerce and ceo santiago ouruez who serves on Outreach Community and insurance commissioner john king, we are efforts to inform georgias Latino Community about the risks of covid19. Partnering with the mexican mr. Ate, general king and mr. Marquez, we will continue to communitiesage across the our state starting in hall community. As other areas of our states have seen reduced transmissions gainesville, the area has experienced an increase in cases and our hospital the area are seeing more hospitalizations. General king is on the ground speaking with leaders in the poultry industry workerse that their understand the Public Health guidance and that we continue to stop thether to spread. Under the leadership of general cardon, the Georgia National guard as you know has worked emergency to assist response efforts across our state. Are 3,145there soldiers, airmen, and state force personnel engaged in the covid19 response with control teams, medicalling support teams, food lunchupport, school delivery, and general support arise. S needs right now there are 978 personnel working in 69 Infection Control teams, assigned to decontaminate georgias 790 longterm care facilities, including nursing assisted living facilities, personal care homes, Community Living arrangements, hospice and similar facilities. Teamse, these dedicated have provided critical support by sanitizing the facility and Training Staff on enhanced protocols totrol 710 facilities, which is 90 of georgias longterm care facilities, with some that have multiple visits. Given the heightened risk of therse consequences for medically fragile and elderly, trulyork by the guard is life saving. Their efforts have been trumpghted by the administration as well as national, state, and local media trainey have started to other states on their practices. Work, as you know, does not stop here. Has 206w, the guard personnel in 20 medical support hospitalsoyed to 20 in georgia. Lending a helping hand to our workforce and necessary medical care to our patients. Have 190 personnel and seven hospital entry support teams which are deployed to conduct patient arrival at healthcare facilities. 170 soldiers are supporting andt food banks, loading unloading shipments and packaging containers for distribution and at the Atlanta Community food bank, supporting of 6 Million Pounds of food, the equivalent of 5 million meals. Over 55 Service Members helping with school lunch deliveries, supporting the delivery of over 137,000 meals to students, just in Fulton County alone. Soldiers are also providing department of Public Health with drivers and their 18at 13 of Regional Health offices. Logistics support at their warehouse and reinforcements at the test sites. The guard is supporting walmarts mobile Testing Initiative in Richmond County inay and will support them millageville and titton in the days. Personnel are providing reinforcement at nine specimen conjunctionites in with Augusta University covering decatur, vurry, scythe, two sites in atlanta, ken saw, morrow and sparta. I mentioned last week, the guard has galvanized 10 mobile strike teams for test specimen collection, focusing on nursing homes, first responders, Law Enforcement, and Mental Health facilities across our state. Are also supporting our partnership with Augusta University at their command with 49 personnel. I want to applaud the brave men thisomen who have answered call to service, who are virus with every fiber of their being. Speaking of local heroes, we a great resource for our front line healthcare workers. Any doubtink theres that they are our heroes of today. , theattle im sorry containment system is a selfcontained device that uses Hydrogen Peroxide to decontaminate n95 masks. A big piece of equipment. It consists of eight 20foot shipping containers and starting decontaminate per day. 5 masks 80,000 masks per day. Beh mask can also decontaminated up to 20 times. This system will give us the ability to recycle critical supplies and it is currently to all medical facilities. Longterm care facilities, as as first responders. I want to encourage these facilities and others to reach out to gima and take advantage of this resource as they work on the front lines of our fight with covid19. Over the last several days, many have written about georgias plan to slowly reopen the businesses shuttered by our shelter in place order and many more have written about the insight and advice on our game plan. Rest assured, the president and i share a common goal and that is to protect both the lives and livelihoods of georgians as well as the american people. Great call today with the president , the Vice President , members of the administration, the National Task force, and the nations governors. I want to continue to applaud the president s leadership andng these difficult times we are grateful for the resources that they are providing as we work to keep georgians safe and ensure a bright and promising future in of our state. And while it is easy to get in a lot ofor lost noise, i have found inspiration smallcouragement from Business Owners who are able to safely open their doors and in theirir customers city or their town. Can testis situation your patient as well as your faith. Know that we stand behind you. Over the weekend, i also heard in our state, concerned about Patient Health and wellbeing. Given the shelter in place order and the need to social distance, chronic disease or medical needs have avoided the the pharmacy. E or if you have a medical need, ofase take advantage telehealth opportunities that many doctors have embraced pandemic. S at the very least, please call check in andn and see if it is a good time to schedule your appointment. The necessary arrangements healthy ensure a tomorrow. I want to close today with a call for a renewed unity. Are unprecedented times in our state and our nation, but we making great progress. We have accomplished much, but still a long way to go. There are differing opinions on best to tackle the covid19 ofus and how we reopen parts our economy. The path forward to ensure a and moreronger, prosperous future for our state. This. Can promise you there is more that unites us than divides us. Want to protect our families and our neighbors. From thist to emerge pandemic safe and victorious, so please stand with us in the days, weeks, and months ahead. Encourage your loved ones and friends to continue to follow the executive orders and the social distancing guidance. Find a way to support your local business and take care of those neighbors that are in need. Use social media to share important updates and highlight the many good things that we us. Going on around and i would ask all georgians to and to do every day as we did earlier today in this and Georgia State capitol, that is to pray. To pray for the States Health helping us chart course forward, to pray for those who are on the front lines of our healthcare facilities, our first responders, and many others as well as those that are areorting them while they working long hours away from home. All our elected officials, from the president , to localicials, officials who are doing what is right. People of this country and this state. I urge you to continue to follow the guidelines and especially, especially, lets continue to vulnerablef the most to this evil disease and if we am confident that together, we will defeat the best dayss and our will remain ahead. On that, well wake some questions. Thank you so much. Sir, you questioned about the to reopen. You mentioned president trump. Twice last week, the president criticized the decision, said it sue soon, as have a number of governors or mayors across the state. Doesnt meet the white house threshold for a recommended twoweek decline in cases. A question or an opinion . Nope, thats a question. You just made a statement, question. Ask a whats your question . Getting to the question right now, sir. Thank you so much. Who say that the move came prematurely, that this came too soon, can you tell us what data you used to determine that this was the safest choice . Well, i know it may be hard for nbc news to understand this, but all the data is publicly available on the Public Health departments website. As ive said before, i made in conjunction with dr. Thume and many, many other people following the data data thats a lot of were following. I mentioned a lot of it today yum in testing were doing. Hospital bed capacity. Just today, i got a text from a metroal ceo in the atlanta area that had 11 hospitals. Patients 171 covid today in 11 hospitals. Down from 260 positive cases which was their high. On march the 31st. Movingknow, were forward with data and information and decisions from Public Health workings, meeting and within the guidelines of the great plan that the president has laid out and you are seeing other governors do that, as well. And i just want to tell you, i the president s doing. You know, he said it best today. Media wants to continue to divide us during this period but assure you, there will be no dividing. Were going to continue to work the the administration and president and the Vice President and the task force and he said wish the media could just see how good these calls go with the governors, about what theyre talking about doing with testing, about how three weeks ago, everybodys having a fit over ventilators, and now nobody even brings it up and here