Almost 80% of Stewart County’s total COVID-19 cases are ICE detainees
At least 77% of COVID-19 infections reported to date in Stewart County have come from immigration detainees held in federal custody, a Georgia Department of Public Health spokesperson told the Ledger-Enquirer.
Stewart County reported 25 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday, the largest single-day increase in confirmed infections since early July.
The smaller southwestern county of roughly 6,600 residents reported more new cases Wednesday than Muscogee and Chattahoochee counties. Since the start of the pandemic, Stewart County has reported 439 coronavirus cases and 13 deaths. No new deaths were reported Wednesday. The county reported its largest COVID-19 cases increase on July 3 with 42.
The county is home to the Stewart Detention Center, one of the nation’s largest Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) facilities in the nation. A total of 338 cases have been confirmed, and two detainees died at the facility as of Sept. 15, according to data from the federal agency.
Cases at the detention center are counted in Stewart County’s totals, said Department of Public Health spokesperson Nancy Nydam.
Stewart residents ages 35-44 account for 98 (22%) of the county’s cases. Male residents account for 318 (73%) of the overall infections. The race for the majority of the cases is listed as unknown. However, 212 cases (48%) are listed as residents of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, according to the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, using data provided by the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The county reported 559 cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, the 17th-highest rate in the nation, reports the New York Times. Chattahoochee County, which reported 13 new cases Wednesday, is ranked third on the list. This is the first time since Sept. 12 that the Chattahoochee reported a new case.
Muscogee County case breakdown
On Wednesday, 19 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Columbus as state health officials confirmed more than 2,250 new infections statewide.
Since the start of the pandemic, Muscogee County has reported 5,788 coronavirus cases and 159 deaths. No new deaths were reported Wednesday.
On Wednesday, 241 new viral tests were reported, and Muscogee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 6.5%. The World Health Organization’s recommended test positivity percentage is 5% or less for at least 14 days. A rate below 5% could mean a state is properly tracking outbreaks and locating milder cases of the disease.
Since the start of the pandemic, 10.9% of Muscogee County’s tests have been positive.
The Georgia Geospatial Information Office, using data provided by the Georgia Department of Public Health, breaks down the county’s cases and deaths by age, sex, race and ethnicity.
According to the data, adults ages 25 to 34 account for 1,201 (about 21%) of Columbus’ cases. That is the largest portion. Female residents account for 3,274 (57%) of the county’s cases. Black residents account for 2,428 (42%) of Columbus’ cases, while the race of about 1,703 (29%) cases is unknown.
People ages 65-74 account for the largest portion of COVID-19 deaths in Muscogee County — 49 deaths (31%). Female residents account for the largest portion of deaths with 84 (53%) overall. Black residents account for 82 (52%) of the county’s coronavirus deaths.
Georgia update
Cases: 299,056 (+2,265 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.
Deaths: 6,419 (+48 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 291,168 total antibody tests and 2,654,121 total viral tests (+25,031 viral tests in 24 hours). These totals don’t account for tests that are not reported through the state’s electronic lab reporting system.
Over the last two weeks, Georgia reported 194 daily coronavirus tests per 100,000 residents. That’s 29% of the state’s testing target, according to reporting by the New York Times and estimates made by the Harvard Global Health Institute.
Positivity rate for Georgia today: 10.8%. Georgia’s overall positivity: 10.3%. This rate is for viral tests reported through the state’s electronic lab reporting system only.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 1,475 a decrease of 32 in 24 hours.
This story was originally published September 16, 2020 at 4:49 PM.