October 14, 2021–5:53 p.m.
STAFF REPORTS
With COVID-19 and an increase in fatal automobile accidents, the Floyd County Coroner’s Office has seen a jump in cases they have worked over the last few months.
Coroner Gene Proctor told members of the Floyd County Public Safety Committee Thursday that there were 44 cases in July. That jumped to 95 cases in August and 183 in September.
“Drug cases are starting to ease back up,” he said. “Falls are continuing to be a big cause of death. We had one in August. We also had 136 COVID-19 cases last month that we had to review.”
Proctor said his office has been able to handle the increase due to the morgue on Mathis Road, which opened in 2018.
“If we didn’t have the morgue, we would’ve been sunk,” Proctor added. The hospitals have been calling and sending bodies over to me because they don’t have the space. They stay full all the time, too. Not to mention, we have also been helping Chattooga County. Since they don’t have COVID facilities, they bring their’s down.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Commissioner Scotty Hancock said there may have to be a budget revision due to the uptick in cases handled by the coroner’s office.