Two Georgia counties near Columbus are among top U.S. COVID-19 hotspots, report says
Two western Georgia counties near Columbus have reported some of the highest rates of recent COVID-19 cases in the nation as state health officials confirmed more than 80 new deaths and 2,500 cases in Georgia Thursday.
Chattahoochee and Stewart counties, both to the south of Columbus, are listed on the New York Times’ list of coronavirus hotspots. Chattahoochee ranks third for cases per resident in the last seven days, behind only Issaquena County, Mississippi, and Pawnee County, Kansas, as of noon Thursday. Stewart County ranked 20th.
Chattahoochee reported 40 new coronavirus cases and zero new deaths Thursday. To date, 789 of the 1,066 (74%) total cases are people ages 15-24. Male residents account for 994 (93%) of Chattahoochee’s overall cases, according to the Georgia Geospatial Information Office which uses data provided by the Georgia Department of Public Health to break down a county’s cases and deaths by age, sex, race and ethnicity.
A total of 1,066 cases and 2 deaths have been confirmed in Chattahoochee County since the start of the pandemic.
Residents and soldiers in training at Fort Benning, one of the nation’s largest Army posts, who test positive for the novel coronavirus are counted among Chattahoochee County’s totals, according to officials at Martin Army Community Hospital and the Georgia Department of Public Health. Various coronavirus restrictions remain in effect at the post.
Chattahoochee County has the highest rate of COVID-19 cases when adjusted for population among counties in Georgia, 9,917.2 per 100,000 people. However, recruits and some others who arrive at Benning aren’t counted in the county’s population, which has the effect of raising the county’s COVID-19 case rate, said Major Scott Robinson, chief of preventive medicine at Martin Army Community Hospital.
The Ledger reached out to the Georgia Department of Public Health regarding the county’s case rate Wednesday and has not received a response.
Stewart County reported 17 new cases and no new deaths Thursday. The county has reported 60 cases since Aug. 20, when confirmed infections there began to increase. A total of 335 cases and 11 deaths have been reported in Stewart County.
Stewart County residents ages 35-44 account for the largest portion of cases — 70 or 21% overall. The race of 169 (over 50%) infected residents is unknown. Residents of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity account for 122 (36%) of cases. Most recent Census estimates show about 33% of the county’s population is Hispanic/Latino.
Stewart County is also home to the Stewart Detention Center, one of the largest facilities that housing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees. Two detainees held at Stewart have died of coronavirus complications since May.
What does the data say about Muscogee County?
Muscogee County reported 23 new COVID-19 cases and no new deaths Thursday.
According to the latest data release from the Georgia Department of Public Health, 5,384 coronavirus cases and 126 deaths in Columbus have been confirmed since the start of the pandemic.
On Thursday, 159 viral tests were reported, and Muscogee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 9.1%. Since the start of the pandemic, 11.4% of Muscogee County’s tests have been positive. The World Health Organization’s recommended test positivity percentage is 5% or less to properly track outbreaks and locate milder cases of the disease.
According to data provided by the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, adults ages 25 to 34 account for 1,127 (about 21%) of Columbus’ cases. That is the largest portion. Female residents account for 3,051 (57%) of the county’s cases. Black residents account for 2,235 (42%) of Columbus’ cases, while the race of about 1,697 (about 32%) cases is unknown.
People ages 65-74 account for the largest portion of COVID-19 deaths in Muscogee County — 40 deaths (32%). Female residents account for the largest portion of deaths with 70 (56%) overall. Black residents account for 69 (55%) of the county’s coronavirus deaths.
Georgia update
Cases: 263,074 (+2,550 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 2,391 coronavirus cases a week ago on Aug. 20, and 3,660 coronavirus cases two weeks ago on Aug. 13
Deaths: 5,393 (+86 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 272,383 total antibody tests and 2,268,837 total viral tests (+19,936 viral tests in 24 hours). These totals don’t account for tests that are not reported through the state’s electronic lab reporting system.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 2,129. That’s a decrease of 98 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.
This story was originally published August 27, 2020 at 4:44 PM.