Photograph by Rob Carr/Getty Images
On Friday, Delta announced it would halt service to several smaller airports. Here’s your Saturday morning update:
• As of publication time, a total of 50,621 COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Georgia. 2,174 people have died. 605,082 tests (virus and antibody) have been conducted. A total of 8,646 of those tested were hospitalized at the time. [GA Dept. of Public Health]
• The Georgia Public Service Commission ruled that utilities can resume shutting off service for unpaid bills. Atlanta Gas Light can resume shutoffs on July 1, while Georgia Power can resume shutoffs on July 15. [AJC]
• Delta is suspending service to an additional 11 smaller airports on July 8 due to low customer demand as the airline industry continues to struggle in the pandemic. Among them: Flint, Michigan; Aspen, Colorado; Lincoln, Nebraska; Santa Barbara, California; and Peoria, Illinois. The airline will also indefinitely suspend service to Ottawa International on June 21. [11 Alive]
• CDC employees are reportedly frustrated and concerned with the amount of damage done to the public’s trust in the agency. Reports the AJC: “Public health experts told the AJC they’re worried that compromised science has crippled the nation’s diseases-fighting arm during the worst pandemic in a century, creating delays and confusion that likely led to more deaths. They question whether [CDC Director Robert] Redfield is the right leader to address agency failings that the pandemic revealed and restore its battered credibility.” The paper takes a thorough look at the accusations against Redfield and the White House—read the full story here. [AJC]
• While the CDC has long been advising people to wear fabric face masks when out in public, the World Health Organization is now also advising wearing masks in cities where virus spread continues and advises the elderly and those with underlying conditions wear medical-grade masks. [11 Alive]
• Admit it, you haven’t really missed Atlanta traffic, and WSB traffic reporter Mark Arum predicts roads won’t truly be backed up again until school resumes. But even with lighter traffic, Arum says the crashes that do happen have been worse. A national study from Teletrac Navman, which does fleet management, noticed increases in speeding and stop sign violations. The Georgia State Patrol also noted back in April that tickets for those exceeding 100 miles per hour were up. So if you are getting back on the road, be careful and mind the speedometer and road signs. [WSB/AJC]
