COVID-19 alternate care facility coming to Milledgeville

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, is preparing a COVID-19 alternate care facility for non-critical patients in Baldwin County.

The 80-bed site will be at the National Guard Youth Challenge Academy facility. Chairman for Baldwin County, along with the Mayor of Milledgeville, say there was no discussion about the location of the makeshift hospital but they support the decision.

“This is a department of defense institution it belongs to them,” said Henry Craig Chairman Baldwin County Commission.

The department through GEMA decided to use the youth center as a place for those recovering from COVID-19.

“It takes a certain time for hospitals to treat those with covid19 and as they require less medical care that this is a place that they might come to,” said Craig. 

The Baldwin County Commissioner says the beds are coming from the Georgia Congress Center, where nearly 200 beds were broken down and distributed through the state.

“Those beds and that equipment were purchased by the state of Georgia,” said Craig.

Milledgeville Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan, says the location of the makeshift hospital may cause concern for residents. She says patients will be confined within the facility though.

“It would open up to be able to give care to people with an open setting they won’t feel as confined as if they were in a hospital room,” explained Mayor Mary Parham-Copelan.

Deputy director for GEMA, Mark Sexton, says right now they are repurposing the building, repainting, and sanitizing rooms. Sexton says the remaining equipment will be stored in warehouse at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth.

Creating the makeshift hospital will cost the county and city nothing. Sexton says they expect to move the beds into the facility next week.