Doctors concerned about possible COVID-19 spike from holiday

(ALBANY, GA) – As thousands get set to hit the road for their holiday weekend, there are concerns among medical experts that there could be a surge of COVID-19 cases.

Phoebe Putney’s Dr James Black says that with case numbers increasing in neighboring counties, it’s a very real possibility.

Phoebe’s Director of Emergency Medical Services tells us, “There’s still people planning on traveling out of town for Fourth of July weekend. So we’re awfully concerned that any bad decision, could result in a lot of illness and a dramatic rise in cases.”

While some people are potentially traveling to hotbed areas like parts of Florida, others are staying home to celebrate with loved ones, and that could potentially be as problematic.

“We’re seeing more and more cases of people with COVID who are showing little to no symptoms that are showing up now. So even showing up to an inter-city gathering of just a few friends, it only takes one of them to haveCOVID-19 and spread it to you,” says Dr Black.

As people are getting ready to celebrate independence day, Dr Black is encouraging that people employ the proper guidelines, as it could lessen the chance of a second wave in the area.

Dr Black says, “We are already seeing more patients, in fact i had a couple of them yesterday, they said they;ve been to the beach, they’ve been to parties in the last 10 days to two weeks, and now they’re coming in with symptoms…The more those things we do to reduce our risk, but the risk is not as small if you go out and party and have a good time with a bunch of people.”

The Phoebe Health System announced Thursday afternoon they are currently treating 36 confirmed patients with COVID-19.