Georgia surpasses 7,000 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic
Georgia health officials confirmed more than 7,000 COVID-19 deaths since early March after 29 new deaths were reported Wednesday.
Nearly 1,800 new cases were confirmed statewide, with Chattahoochee County reporting the largest 24-hour increase in the Columbus area.
Here’s the breakdown of the local and state data:
Muscogee County case breakdown
On Wednesday, 14 new cases and no new deaths were reported for Muscogee County. Since the start of the pandemic, 6,048 coronavirus cases and 170 deaths have been confirmed in Columbus.
Muscogee reported 218 new viral tests Wednesday. Columbus’ test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 5.7%. Since the start of the pandemic, 10.6% of Muscogee County’s tests have been positive.
According to data from the Georgia Geospatial Information Office, adults ages 25 to 34 account for 1,249 (about 21%) of Columbus’ cases. That is the largest portion. Female residents account for 3,426 (57%) of the county’s cases. Black residents account for 2,577 (43%) of Columbus’ cases, while the race for 1,646 (27%) of cases is unknown.
People ages 65-74 account for the largest portion of COVID-19 deaths in Muscogee County — 51 deaths (30%). Female residents account for the largest portion of deaths with 90 (53%) overall. Black residents account for 86 (51%) of the county’s coronavirus deaths.
Over the last two weeks, Muscogee County reported 127 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people. Current coronavirus orders from Gov. Brian Kemp allow local governments to implement mask mandates if their county reports 100 or more cases per 100,000 people over a 14-day period.
Regional update
Chattahoochee County reported 34 new cases in 24 hours, bringing its coronavirus case tally to 1,666. That’s the largest single-day increase since Sept. 12.
Residents and soldiers in training at Fort Benning who test positive for the novel coronavirus are counted among Chattahoochee County’s totals, officials at Martin Army Community Hospital and the Georgia Department of Public Health have previously said.
Residents ages 15-24 account for 77% of the county’s cases, and men account for 94% of Chattahoochee’s confirmed infections.
Chattahoochee’s weekly test positivity rate jumped from 2.9% to 14.3% for the week ending Sept. 25, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s County Indicator Report published Monday. These include tests reported only through Georgia’s electronic lab reporting system. Cases can be reported through other means.
A positivity rate over 5% may indicate only the sickest patients who seek out medical care are being tested and are not locating milder cases and outbreaks.
Attempts earlier this week to contact officials at Fort Benning and Martin Army Community Hospital regarding coronavirus testing at the post were not returned.
Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Commanding General Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe issued General Order 6 last week, easing coronavirus restrictions on post.
The order allows soldiers, families, Department of the Army civilians and contractors to eat inside restaurants or use off-post gyms that follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state and federal guidelines. Bars remain off limits.
Family days and public graduations are still prohibited, Donahoe said.
“We are asking you to use common sense. Ensure you are wearing a mask, sanitize, go to restaurants that are practicing mitigating measures … places taking the appropriate measures to protect their clientele,” he said in a statement last week.
Georgia update
Cases: 318,026 (+1,779 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: 7,021 (+29 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 302,125 total antibody tests and 2,933,679 total viral tests (+22,846 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 an average of 190 daily coronavirus tests per 100,000 residents. That’s 44% of the state’s testing target, according to reporting by the New York Times and estimates made by the Harvard Global Health Institute.
Current COVID-19 hospitalizations: 1,349, an increase of 1.
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 4:37 PM.