Georgia reports nearly 2,400 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday. What else you need to know
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 243,982 cumulative COVID-19 cases Wednesday, up by more than 2,391 new cases in 24 hours.
Here are some key takeaways from the latest data:
Cases: 243,982 (+2,391 reported today). The number of new cases reported in a day may not match the difference in total cases over a 24-hour period. This occurs because previously reported cases may be removed as duplicate reports are corrected. An older confirmed case may also be reclassified as additional information is collected during an investigation.
Georgia reported 3,660 coronavirus cases a week ago on Aug. 12. The state reported 3,817 coronavirus cases two weeks ago on Aug. 5.
Despite some recent declines, the White House coronavirus task force reported Georgia ranked first for most new cases per 100,000 people and ninth for the highest test positivity in the country during the week of Aug. 8-14.
Deaths: 4,849 (+56 deaths in 24 hours). It’s important to note that these numbers indicate when deaths are reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health. It does not reflect when these deaths occurred.
Tests: Georgia reported 259,422 total antibody tests and 2,075,697 total viral tests (+15,378 viral tests in 24 hours). Georgia’s positivity rate over the last 24 hours was 10.4%. Since the start of the pandemic, the state’s overall positivity rate is 10.7%. These totals don’t account for tests that are not reported through the state’s electronic lab reporting system.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 2,573. That’s a decrease of 23 patients in 24 hours. The count includes any patient in a Georgia hospital who has tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of the report. This count does not include patients who are being investigated for possible infection by health officials.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports Georgia had 3,611 current hospital patients in an inpatient bed with confirmed or suspected coronavirus infections as of Aug. 18. Representatives for the Georgia Department of Public Health previously said that federal data includes some long-term acute care and rehabilitation facilities, while state data is only from acute care hospitals.
Total COVID hospitalizations: 22,664, an increase of 235 in 24 hours.
Hospital capacity: As of Tuesday, 85% of the state’s critical care beds are full. Not all critical care beds in the state are filled with COVID-19 patients. Some regions have less than 10 critical care beds available. Region I, which includes Columbus and its surrounding counties, has eight critical care beds left.
Cases per 100,000: Chattahoochee (7,851.89), Echols (5,744.52), Stewart (4,486.87), Appling (4,428.64) and Atkins (4,381.75) counties have the highest coronavirus rates per 100,000 people in the state.
For a complete county-by-county list, visit the Georgia Department of Public Health’s website. The health department is not reporting how many Georgians have recovered
Regional update
▪ Muscogee County reported 5,163 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 27 cases in 24 hours. The county reported 117 coronavirus-related deaths, an increase of four in 24 hours.
Over the last two weeks, 10.1% of Muscogee County’s tests came back positive. Since the start of the pandemic, 11.6% of the county’s tests were positive. It’s unclear how many total tests were performed on Muscogee County residents.
▪ In Middle Georgia, Bibb County reported 4,314 cases, up 52 cases in 24 hours. The county reported 86 coronavirus-related deaths, an increase of one in 24 hours.
Over the last two weeks, 17.0% of Bibb County’s tests came back positive. Since the start of the pandemic, 14.9% of the county’s tests were positive. It’s unclear how many tests were performed.
▪ The World Health Organization’s recommended test positivity percentage is 5% to properly track outbreaks and locate milder cases of the disease.
▪ Fulton County reports the highest number of cumulative cases in the state at 22,760.
This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 4:56 PM.