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Kemp tours Kroger clinic, speaks about new strains of COVID-19

The next phase of vaccinations is still a couple of weeks away and in the meantime the virus is mutating.

The state’s health commissioner said there are nearly two dozen cases of the new strains in Georgia.

Governor Brian Kemp toured a Kroger clinic in Brookhaven, where people can receive the vaccine, on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Kemp and Dr. Kathleen Toomey visited the state’s largest mass vaccination site at Jim Miller Park in Marietta.

“It was it was very impressive as to what they did. It’s just getting the appointment. That’s the bottleneck right now,” said vaccine recipient Cliff Biggers.

[SPECIAL SECTION: COVID-19 Vaccine in Georgia]

State leaders are pushing for more vaccines as the virus mutates. There are 23 confirmed cases of the new variants in Georgia.

“It means these variants are widespread, probably throughout Georgia. And so, it just reinforces those prevention messages the governor has repeated so many times,” Toomey said.

The messages includes wearing a mask and practice social distancing until we can increase the supply of vaccines.

“Given the slight increase the state’s allocation will bump up to about 154,00 per week starting with next week’s shipment,” Kemp said.

More than 2 million people in Georgia are eligible to receive the vaccine right now.

As of Tuesday, there have been 759,228 positive cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. There is currently a 11.2% positive rate. At least 12,907 people have died of the coronavirus.

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