Corona Virus in a Small Georgia City - 04/06/20
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A funeral is thought to have sparked a covid-19 outbreak in Albany, Ga. — and led to many more funerals
As coronavirus tears through rural Georgia, a small city asks: 'Why here? Why us?'
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The city of Albany in southwest Georgia has become an unlikely coronavirus hotspot, leaving the local hospital scrambling to provide care. (Lee Powell/The Washington Post)
By Haisten Willis and
Vanessa Williams
April 4, 2020 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
ALBANY, Ga. — People have largely abandoned the streets of this midsize city in southwest Georgia, which has garnered unwanted attention for leading the state in covid-19 deaths and having one of the highest infection rates in the country. But this past week, a few locals ventured out anyway to pay tribute to a community icon.
The outbreak in Dougherty County has largely been attributed to a funeral in late February that drew more than 100 mourners, including a man from Atlanta who died a few days after the services. Soon, relatives and friends who went to the wake fell ill, as did employees of the funeral home and worshipers at the church where the service was held.
The novel coronavirus quickly overwhelmed Albany, and, as of Friday, the county of 90,000 had seven more deaths than Fulton County, which includes the city of Atlanta and more than a million residents. So far, 521 people in Dougherty have tested positive for the virus, second in the state behind Fulton’s 747 confirmed cases.
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Black people account for “90 percent or better” of the Dougherty County deaths, said county coroner Michael Fowler. The dead range in age from 42 to 80, averaging about 60 years old. Fowler added, “Most of them had underlying conditions — diabetes, COPD [a lung disease], cancer, AIDS — all of these underlying conditions compromised their immune systems.”
Share
0
Skip to main content
A funeral is thought to have sparked a covid-19 outbreak in Albany, Ga. — and led to many more funerals
As coronavirus tears through rural Georgia, a small city asks: 'Why here? Why us?'
0:01 / 4:41
mute
cc disabled
The city of Albany in southwest Georgia has become an unlikely coronavirus hotspot, leaving the local hospital scrambling to provide care. (Lee Powell/The Washington Post)
By Haisten Willis and
Vanessa Williams
April 4, 2020 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
ALBANY, Ga. — People have largely abandoned the streets of this midsize city in southwest Georgia, which has garnered unwanted attention for leading the state in covid-19 deaths and having one of the highest infection rates in the country. But this past week, a few locals ventured out anyway to pay tribute to a community icon.
The outbreak in Dougherty County has largely been attributed to a funeral in late February that drew more than 100 mourners, including a man from Atlanta who died a few days after the services. Soon, relatives and friends who went to the wake fell ill, as did employees of the funeral home and worshipers at the church where the service was held.
The novel coronavirus quickly overwhelmed Albany, and, as of Friday, the county of 90,000 had seven more deaths than Fulton County, which includes the city of Atlanta and more than a million residents. So far, 521 people in Dougherty have tested positive for the virus, second in the state behind Fulton’s 747 confirmed cases.
Sign up for our Coronavirus Updates newsletter to track the outbreak. All stories linked in the newsletter are free to access.
Black people account for “90 percent or better” of the Dougherty County deaths, said county coroner Michael Fowler. The dead range in age from 42 to 80, averaging about 60 years old. Fowler added, “Most of them had underlying conditions — diabetes, COPD [a lung disease], cancer, AIDS — all of these underlying conditions compromised their immune systems.”
