Hospitals in small and mid-sized cities across the South have seen their patient network expand as rural hospitals elsewhere in the state close down. ⁣ ⁣ Now, Athens, Georgia, is facing a big test. The hospitals in Athens-Clarke County are prepared to handle Covid-19 cases in Athens. But the real question is: Can they handle their neighbors?⁣ ⁣ That healthcare strain is adding to other long-boiling political tensions. Some Athenians resent the added burden from their more laissez-faire neighbors who, in the absence of orders from the Republican governor, allowed most businesses to operate and continued gathering in large crowds well into the later weeks of the outbreak. More at the link in bio.⁣ ⁣ 📷 Asha Stuart for Politico Magazine⁣ ⁣ #athensgeorgia #ruralhospitals #ruralcommunities #georgia #coronavirus #covid19