Thursday March 28th, 2024 8:30PM

Kemp: State opens five more mass vaccination sites

Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday Georgia will allocate COVID-19 vaccine doses to areas where the demand is the highest as the state opens five additional mass vaccination sites.

He also said he is concerned about the number of unaccompanied young people attempting to cross the U.S. southern border, saying it could result in an increase in human trafficking.

On the vaccines, Kemp said the decision to open the shots to people 55 and older means more than five million Georgians are now eligible for the shots. Everyone will be eligible on April 1.

"A lot of shots going in arms every day," the governor said. "We've got to continue to push that."

The largest demand for the vaccine has been north of the "gnat line," which runs roughly from Columbus to Macon to Augusta. Kemp said those areas will have priority in getting new doses as the state gets them.

That means fewer doses will be sent to South Georgia, where demand has been lighter.

"We don't want to have supply sitting there with no demand," Kemp said.

Some reports have said Georgia is dead last among states in getting the available shots distributed, but Kemp disputed that. He said Georgia was ahead of recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in getting people age 65 and older eligible for the vaccine.

About 75 percent of Georgia's COVID-related deaths are in the 65-plus age group.

"We're really trying to keep those people out of the hospital and keep them from succumbing to this evil, invisible virus." Kemp said.

As for others still waiting for access to the vaccine, Kemp urged patience.

"New eligibility requirements would create additional demand in this part of the state," Kemp said. "While our supplies increase some, it's not been exponential like we feel we will see at the end of the month."

The five new mass vaccination sites are in Bartow, Chatham, Muscogee, Ware and Washington counties. They join four previously open sites in Clarkesville, Macon, Albany and the Delta Flight Museum outside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

On the immigration crisis at the southern border, Kemp said the influx of young immigrants present several challenges for the country. U.S. Border Control said it has about 3,700 young people, many between 12-17, in custody along the Mexican border.

"What we are seeing down there is very concerning when it comes to human trafficking, drug smuggling, and potential terrorists coming into the country," he said. "From a national security standpoint, that's very dangerous."

Kemp and his wife, Marty Kemp, have made fighting human trafficking one of their top priorities.

On election reform bill in the General Assembly, Kemp reiterated his support for requiring a state-issued ID to obtain an absentee ballot. He said he supported other measures that ensure safe elections in the state, but he was not specific about which pieces of legislation he would sign.

"Most of the people at the Capitol want to have secure, accessible, fair elections," he said. "They want it easy to vote and hard to cheat. That's certainly where I've been and where I continue to be."

He said that in previous elections, nearly 95 percent of Georgia's voters voted in person.

"They are used to showing an ID to vote, and it's an easy thing for them to do," Kemp said. "I support the same thing for absentee ballots."

Kemp made his comments Wednesday during an interview on WDUN's "Morning Talk with Martha Zoller."

  • Associated Categories: Homepage, Local/State News
  • Associated Tags: Human trafficking, Gov. Brian Kemp, coronavirus, COVID-19, Election reform
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