Muscogee County reports 60 new COVID-19 cases in 24 hours. Why cases could be on the rise
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 60 new COVID-19 cases in Muscogee County Tuesday. It is the largest single-day increase in confirmed cases to date, according to a Ledger-Enquirer analysis.
As of June 9, 868 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Muscogee County. From May 8 to June 8, confirmed cases in the county had more than doubled — from 363 to 808, based on Georgia Department of Public Health data. The largest single-day increases have come the past several days.
When adjusted for population, Muscogee County ranks 62 out of 159 counties for the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. Columbus’ case rate is below nearby Troup County but higher than Atlanta’s Fulton County.
Pam Kirkland, spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Health’s West Central Health District, said some of the recent increase is likely the result of more testing. But the virus is likely spreading in Columbus as well, she said.
“I’m thinking it had to do with Memorial Day,” she said. “I’m seeing a lot of people acting like nothing has happened. ...They’re just all right there and in close contact with everybody.”
Muscogee’s recent jump is not due to a recent increase in cases at Fort Benning. Nancy Nydam, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Health, said cases at military installations in Georgia are counted in the county where the base or post is located. Those Fort Benning cases would be attributed to Chattahoochee County, Nydam said.
Officials at Benning confirmed 142 soldiers and trainees assigned to the 30th AG Battalion and 2nd Battalion, 29th Infantry Regiment tested positive for COVID-19, according to a May 31 news release. There are 180 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Chattahoochee County, an increase of 141 cases since May 29.
Testing continues to increase across the state. Nearly 552,000 tests for active infections have been completed as of June 9. But the Georgia Department of Public Health doesn’t provide a county by county breakdown of testing, meaning its unclear how many tests have been done on Columbus residents.
WRBL reported Monday that more than 700 tests from three Columbus nursing and rehabilitation facilities — Muscogee Manor, Orchard View and Azalea Trace — were conducted in late May. The results of those tests came back Friday, and most of the results were negative.
As of June 9, a total of 31 residents and 35 staff members at Muscogee Manor have tested positive for COVID-19. Seven residents have died, according to the Georgia Department of Community Health. The first cases there were confirmed in April.
More COVID-19 tests have been performed at the West Central Health District’s headquarters in Columbus as well, Kirkland said.
“We did 167 tests yesterday,” Kirkland said. “Our test numbers have been a lot higher.”
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, Georgia has 53,249 coronavirus cases and 2,285 deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
This story was originally published June 9, 2020 at 5:41 PM.