VALDOSTA — The governor of Georgia made a brief stop in Valdosta Friday to urge people to continue taking precautions to avoid contracting COVID-19.

The stopover at Valdosta Flying Service, located at Valdosta Regional Airport, was part of an all-morning flyaround tour by Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife, Marty, which included airport stops in Atlanta, Savannah and Augusta. Many state and local officials were on hand for the governor’s speech in Valdosta.

On March 14, Kemp declared a state of emergency in Georgia due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a declaration which has been extended several times.

“We are seeing strong progress in the fight to protect lives and livelihoods here in the great state of Georgia,” he said.

Georgia’s rate of positive results from COVID-19 testing has dropped from 12.4% to 8.6%, the governor said. COVID-19 hospitalizations are down statewide to lower than 2,000, down 38% from the peak July 6, he said.

Georgia’s economic recovery would suffer if people ignored public safety measures, Kemp said.

As Labor Day approaches, the governor said “cases spike, hospitalizations rise and deaths increase after holiday weekends. … People let their guard down; they forget that we are battling an invisible enemy.”

Kemp urged Georgians during the weekend to continue following through on COVID-19 precautions: washing hands and sterilizing surfaces, social distancing, wearing masks in public places and obeying public health orders.

Terry Richards is senior reporter at The Valdosta Daily Times.