Coronavirus updates: Auburn to screen all students on campus, plus more news in Columbus area
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information and numbers regarding the coronavirus in the Chattahoochee Valley.
Georgia’s coronavirus case totals update each day at 3 p.m. Check back for more updates throughout the day.
Area COVID-19 numbers for July 17
GEORGIA
Muscogee County and its surrounding areas reported a total of 8,514 cases in the 3 p.m. Friday update from the Georgia Department of Public Health. That’s an increase of 119 since Thursday.
257 total deaths were reported in the area, an increase of six deaths since yesterday.
Here’s a breakdown by county of total cases, deaths and hospitalizations:
- Muscogee: 3196, 64, 347
Troup: 1841, 44, 201
- Sumter: 657, 52, 156
Chattahoochee: 493, 1, 9
Harris: 485, 13, 52
- Crisp: 326, 13, 48
Meriwether: 277, 4, 33
Stewart: 231, 4, 49
- Dooly: 222, 13, 45
Randolph: 222, 25, 38
Macon: 150, 10, 36
Marion: 108, 3, 13
Talbot: 102, 3, 16
- Clay: 65, 2, 5
- Taylor: 49, 2, 12
Webster: 35, 2, 7
- Schley: 31, 1, 7
Quitman: 24, 1, 5
A full county-by-county breakdown from the Georgia Department of Public Health can be found here.
Georgia’s West-Central Health District covers 16 counties: Chattahoochee, Clay, Crisp, Dooly, Harris, Macon, Marion, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor and Webster.
Troup and Meriwether counties are not in the West-Central Health District but because of their proximity to Columbus, the Ledger-Enquirer will track those numbers as well.
ALABAMA
The number of novel coronavirus cases in Alabama has now reached 62,111 according to the Alabama Department of Public Health’s dashboard at 3:30 p.m. EST Friday.
The number of reported cases in Lee County stands at 1,922 while Russell County’s total stands at 857.
There have been 562,135 tests performed statewide. The state reported 1,232 total COVID-19-related deaths as of Friday.
The state of Alabama reports the number of presumed recoveries from COVID-19 on a weekly basis. On July 17, the state reported 29,736 presumed recoveries throughout Alabama.
To view the full list of Alabama COVID-19 cases, click here.
Auburn to conduct COVID-19 tests for all students
Auburn will conduct COVID-19 screening tests for all students who will be on campus this fall, according to a press release.
The mass screening is part of Gov. Kay Ivey’s “Testing for Alabama” initiative, which encourages the same actions at all Alabama universities and colleges this fall.
Testing sites will be available throughout the state beginning July 25, according to the release, with Beard-Eaves Coliseum as Auburn’s designated testing location.
Students must be tested within 14 days prior to their return to campus.