Georgia reports 73 new COVID-19 deaths. Here’s a breakdown of the latest data
Georgia health officials reported 73 new coronavirus deaths Tuesday, the largest single-day increase since Sept. 10. Only a few of these newly reported deaths were confirmed in the Columbus area. Cases continue to decline following a surge earlier in the summer.
Here’s the breakdown of state and local data:
Muscogee County case breakdown
Muscogee County reported nine new cases and three new deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, Muscogee County has reported 5,883 coronavirus cases and 166 deaths.
On Tuesday, 160 new viral tests were reported, and Muscogee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 5.9%. 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, 10.8% 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 1,215 (about 21%) of Columbus’ cases. That is the largest portion. Female residents account for 3,322 (56%) of the county’s cases. Black residents account for 2,478 (42%) of Columbus’ cases, while the race of about 1,689 (29%) cases is unknown.
People ages 65-74 account for the largest portion of COVID-19 deaths in Muscogee County — 50 deaths (30%). Female residents account for the largest portion of deaths with 89 (54%) overall. Black residents account for 85 (51%) of the county’s coronavirus deaths.
Georgia update
Cases: 308,221 (+1,017 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: 6,677 (+73 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 296,044 total antibody tests and 2,783,427 total viral tests (+12,564 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 190 daily coronavirus tests per 100,000 residents. That’s 36% 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: 7.4%. 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: 1,406, a decrease of 15.
This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 4:29 PM.