(Note: This story was written for print at 1 p.m. Monday, April 6.)
Lamar County had 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of noon Monday, according to the state department of health (DPH). That count doubled from the total of seven listed at 7 p.m. Sunday. As Easter approaches, health officials expect this to be the worst week of the coronavirus pandemic.
Statewide, there were 7314 confirmed cases with 1332 hospitalizations and 229 deaths. Lamar was not listed as having a recorded death but coroner Jim Smith confirmed a local resident who died at an area hospital earlier this month tested positive for coronavirus.
Nearby, two people - males ages 50 and 73 - died in Spalding County. A 77-year-old male from High Falls in Monroe County also succumbed. All had underlying medical issues.
“Six feet apart or six feet under. Which do you prefer?” That is how one local official summed up the predicament facing the citizens of Lamar County who are, along with everyone in Georgia, under a shelter in place order.
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