ASYMPTOMATIC SPREAD. MORE THAN 1500 PEOPLE ACROSS
THE STATE ARE IN THE HOSPITAL
FOR COVID.
FOR COVID. LOVED ONES AND LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES ARE THE ONES RELIEF
FEELING THE IMPACT OF THIS
VIRUS.
VIRUS.
VIRUS. MANY HAVE GONE NOW SIX MONTHS
WITHOUT A HUG OR A VISIT FROM
THEIR CHILDREN
THEIR CHILDREN REVEALED INVESTIGATOR FOUND A
GROWING GROUP OF FAMILIES WHO
SAY COVID IS NOT THE ONLY THING
THAT KILLS THE ELDERLY.
ISOLATION DOES, AS WELL.
>> Reporter: THE PICTURES TELL
THE STORY.
THE STORY. THIS IS HER 96-YEAR-OLD MOTHER
RIGHT BEFORE COVID TRIGGERED
THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER THAT
SHUT DOWN LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES TO VISITORS.
AND THIS IS HER MOTHER NOW.
IT HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS SINCE
SHE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GIVE HER
MOTHER A HUG.
>> THAT WAS MARCH,
WHEN WE WOULD LEAVE WE WOULD
ALWAYS HUG HER, TELL WE LOVE
HER, AND SHE WOULD ALWAYS WANT
TO KNOW WHEN WE WERE COMING
BACK.
BACK.
BACK. >>
BACK. >> Reporter: WE SPOKE WITH FEET
AWAY FROM HER NURSING HOME
WHERE HER MOTHER LIVES IN
CARTERSVILLE.
CARTERSVILLE. SHE HAS NO IDEA YOU ARE RIGHT
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> NO.
>> NO.
>> NO. IT'S A HORRIBLE FEELING.
>> Reporter: EVEN IN HER LAST,
HER MOM CANNOT HOLD OF THE
PHONE AND KEEP HERSELF UP.
>> WE COULD JUST LOOK AT EACH
OTHER.
OTHER.
OTHER. IT
OTHER. IT IS NO
IT IS NO
IT IS NO UNABLE TO VISIT BUT RESIDENTS
DON'T EVEN GET TO SEE EACH
OTHER.
OTHER.
OTHER. ACTIVITIES ARE CANCELED, THE
DINING HALL REMAINS CLOSED.
>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE TWO
DIFFERENT PICTURES, WHAT, WHAT
DO YOU THINK?
>> I SEE MY MOTHER AND THEN I
SEE A STRANGER.
I MEAN, I JUST, I CAN'T STAND
TO SEE HER LIKE THIS.
THAT'S NOT
THAT'S NOT >> WHEN I POSTED THESE
PICTURES, EVEN STRANGERS FILLED
MY FEET WITH OUTRAGE.
CALLING THE ISOLATION CRUEL.
HEARTLESS, A FORM OF AB
FAMILIES SHARED PICTURES OF
THEIR OWN LOVED ONES.
OTHERS QUESTIONED WHY STAFF GO
IN AND OUT BUT FAMILY MEMBERS
CANNOT STAND 6 FEET AWAY IN
PPE.
PPE.
PPE. >>
PPE. >> SHE START TO SEE THINGS THAT
ARE NOT
ARE NOT
ARE NOT >> Reporter: LEXI WILLIAMS IS
CONFIDENT HER MOTHER IS GETTING
GREAT CARE, STILL, EVEN SHE HAS
NOTICED A DIFFERENCE.
THAT IS WHY IN JULY SHE FORMED
GEORGIA CAREGIVERS WHO
COMPROMISE, THE GROUP NOW WITH
NEARLY 800 NUMBERS.
>> I FELT LIKE WE NEEDED A
DIFFERENT APPROACH THAN BEING
TOTALLY ISOLATED.
TOTALLY ISOLATED. SO THEN I STARTED WRITING THE
GOVERNOR, GOVERNOR CAMP.
>> Reporter: HE ASKED FOR A
PLAN, BY AUGUST 31, TO EARN THE
PROLONGED PHYSICAL SEPARATION.
THEY SAY IT IS WORKING ON ONE.
A SPOKESPERSON SAYS THAT PLAN
WILL NOT BE RUSHED.
WILLIAMS BELIEVES THERE IS
CONCERN ABOUT LIABILITY.
>> IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DO
SOMETHING, IF YOU WON'T LET
ANYONE ELSE COME UP WITH A
SOLUTION, THEN YOU ARE
LIABILITY.
LIABILITY. >> Reporter: BUT THERE IS
REASON FOR CONCERN.
84% OF THOSE THAT HAVE DIED IN
GEORGIA WITH THE VIRUS WERE
OVER THE AGE OF 60.
39% WERE LIVING IN LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES.
CARE FACILITIES. >> THEY FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE
BEEN LEFT TO DIE ALONE AND THE
UNFORTUNATE PART IS, THEY ARE
DYING ALONE.
DYING ALONE. THEY ARE LITERALLY
>> Reporter: THE HEAD OF THE
DEPARTMENT PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS
THE GOVERNOR'S ORDER ONLY
PROHIBITS INDOOR VISITATION.
OUTDOOR VISITS, SHE SAYS, ARE
FINE.
FINE.
FINE. BUT
FINE. BUT WITH ACTIVE COVID CASES AND
ONE OF GEORGIA'S LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES, AND NEARLY 100
COUNTIES WITH THE POSITIVITY
RATE ABOVE 10%, GEORGIA
HEALTHCARE ASSOCIATION SAYS
THERE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH STAFF
TO COORDINATE AND SUPERVISE
VISITS.
VISITS.
VISITS. >> HOW ARE YOU FEELING THIS
MORNING?
MORNING?
MORNING? >> Reporter: THEY CALL HER MOM
EVERY DAY.
EVERY DAY. >> I WANT TO BUST THE DOOR DOWN
AND GO IN AND