Georgia surpasses 6,500 total COVID-19 deaths. Here’s the latest for Columbus
Georgia health officials confirmed at least 6,500 people have now died from coronavirus-related complications, according to the latest data published by the state health department.
Newly confirmed cases over the past week are hovering around 1,700 per day, while Muscogee County is averaging roughly 20 cases.
Here’s the breakdown:
Muscogee County case breakdown
Muscogee County reported 22 new cases Friday as part of an ongoing decline from a surge earlier in the summer.
Since the start of the pandemic, Muscogee County has reported 5,831 coronavirus cases and 160 deaths. No new deaths were reported Friday.
On Friday, 256 new viral tests were reported, and Muscogee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 6.0%. 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 1,208 (about 21%) of Columbus’ cases. That is the largest portion. Female residents account for 3,297 (57%) of the county’s cases. Black residents account for 2,446 (42%) of Columbus’ cases, while the race of about 1,705 (29%) cases is unknown.
People ages 65-74 account for the largest portion of COVID-19 deaths in Muscogee County — 50 deaths (31%). Female residents account for the largest portion of deaths with 84 (53%) overall. Black residents account for 82 (51%) of the county’s coronavirus deaths.
Regional update
Here are the new case totals for some counties near Columbus:
- Stewart County reported 25 new cases. The county, home to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s Stewart Detention Center, reported a decrease of two cases. Stewart reported a total of 48 cases in the past 3 days.
- Both Stewart and Chattahoochee counties are ranked in the top 30 nationwide for the number of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 reported over the last seven days.
Georgia update
Cases: 302,737 (+1,870 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: 6,537 (+64 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 293,358 total antibody tests and 2,701,952 total viral tests (+22,061 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 181 daily coronavirus tests per 100,000 residents. That’s 31% 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: 5.6%. Georgia’s overall positivity: 10.2%. This rate is for viral tests reported through the state’s electronic lab reporting system only.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 1,419 a decrease of 25 in 24 hours.