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Fulton County to open new COVID-19 test site at Atlanta’s airport

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The White House is now turning its focus on Fulton County as cases of coronavirus rise.

According to recent data, the county saw an alarming spike in cases, hospitalizations and deaths last month.

Channel 2′s Sophia Choi was at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, where a new testing site will open on Monday with the ability to handle some 5,000 people a day.

The testing site will be in one of the new north parking lots.

Fulton County said it already does the lion's share of COVID-19 testing in the metro area, 5,200 peopel per day.

In the first few months of the pandemic, the county averaged about 75 positive infections a day. Now, Fulton County has had 3,715 new cases in the last two weeks.

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Choi learned during a recent virtual COVID-19 update to commissioners that that the White House wants Fulton County to open a time-limited testing surge site after deeming Atlanta a hot spot.

"It's going to be located at the airport, and we will be starting operations for 12 days, starting up on Monday," Fulton County Health Director Dr. Lynn Paxton said.

Paxton said two things are contributing to the rise in cases: People not wearing masks and too many people out in public places like restaurants.

"when you're wearing a facial covering, you see a decrease in the infections and more importantly, a decrease in the deaths," Paxton said.

Along with testing, Fulton County now has more than a $9 million stockpile of PPE , and they are getting ready to start allocating it monthly to its cities for employees on the frontlines and businesses and residents too.

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