Coronavirus in Columbus: Students start school, experts debunk COVID myths, plus more news
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 information.
Here are the updated COVID-19 numbers for our area:
GEORGIA
Muscogee County and its surrounding areas reported a total of 12,617 cases in the 3 p.m. Thursday update from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
374 total deaths were reported in the area.
Here’s a breakdown by county of total cases, deaths and hospitalizations:
- Muscogee: 5195, 117, 535
Troup: 2454, 77, 273
Chattahoochee: 851, 2, 11
- Sumter: 803, 56, 180
Harris: 699, 19, 75
Meriwether: 447, 7, 54
- Crisp: 422, 15, 60
Randolph: 296, 26, 46
Dooly: 270, 14, 47
Stewart: 297, 10, 74
- Macon: 193, 10, 39
Marion: 164, 5, 15
Talbot: 149, 5, 21
Taylor: 112, 4, 18
- Clay: 107, 2, 7
- Schley: 87, 2, 13
Webster: 39, 2, 9
- Quitman: 32, 1, 6
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 107,483 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 2,899 while Russell County’s total stands at 1,471.
There have been 891,813 tests performed statewide. The state reported 1,905 total COVID-19-related deaths as of Thursday.
The state of Alabama reports the number of presumed recoveries from COVID-19 on a weekly basis. On Aug. 20, the state reported 44,684 presumed recoveries throughout Alabama.
To view the full list of Alabama COVID-19 cases, click here.
Look inside Central High as students, staff return to classes
Echoes of “six feet, folks” rang through Central High School’s hallways Tuesday as staff reminded students to social distance and help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The Central High School student body was split into half and sent back to classes on separate days, Monday, August 17 and Tuesday, August 18. Approximately 400 students arrived on each day for in-person teaching at Central High School.
Columbus experts debunk COVID-19 myths
As scientists continue to discover more about the coronavirus, it can be tough to keep up with the waves of new information and advice during the pandemic.
As of Aug. 17, a total of 5,092 COVID-19 cases and 109 deaths have been confirmed in Muscogee County. As the number of cases grow, it’s important to evaluate disinformation that may contribute to the spread of the virus.
To help cut through the confusion, the Ledger-Enquirer asked two local experts to explain some common coronavirus misconceptions.
Nearly 50 students, staff quarantined after COVID cases in Harris County
Another person in the Harris County School District has tested positive for the coronavirus in the first week of the fall 2020 semester.
Two students and three HCSD employees are listed as being infected with COVID-19 in the updated report for Aug. 10-17 the school district released Tuesday night.
Why Auburn practices in era of COVID-19 are new, different and built for fast learning
After an abnormal offseason, Auburn must go through an abnormal preseason.
COVID-19 meant no spring practice for college football programs nationwide. Summer workouts were limited, and player-coach interaction up until June took place virtually, over Zoom video calls.
Now, the Tigers must adjust to a preseason routine that won’t include a traditional fall camp. It won’t feature two-a-day practices, and the season itself won’t start until late September, with a home game against Kentucky.
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 9:55 AM.
