Ga Dept of Public Health updates Athens coronavirus count

The state Department of Public Health says Athens-Clarke County is reporting 54 cases of coronavirus and now 7 deaths because of COVID 19.

The University of Georgia is canceling all Maymester study abroad programs because of coronavirus. UGA campuses are closed for the rest of spring semester, with courses now being taught on-line. 

A Clarke County School Board work session is on tap for tonight, underway at 6 o'clock and accessible to the public on the School District's YouTube channel: most local government meetings in Athens are now operating the same way, with governing bodies streaming meetings to keep public gatherings to a minimum during this time of social distancing.

The Gainesville City Council met Wednesday and voted to impose a shelter-in-place order for residents and businesses in Gainesville: businesses considered essential will stay open; those considered non-essential will have to close. 

Hall County state Senator Butch Miller says he will take coronavirus questions from constituents in a forum set for 6 o'clock this evening: the Gainesville Republican will be on Facebook Live. 

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is still trying to tamp down social media rumors  that Lake Lanier and other lakes around the state are closed: the DNR's Colonel Thomas Barnard says the lakes are very much open.