Coronavirus

More than 8,500 new COVID cases reported in Georgia, the most ever in a single day

Georgia set a single-day record for newly reported COVID-19 cases on Thursday, ending 2020 with more than 8,500 new cases.

Data from the Georgia Department of Public Health shows 8,551 new cases and 68 confirmed deaths were reported statewide. It is the first time since the start of the pandemic that more than 8,000 confirmed cases were reported in a single day.



Georgia reported 3,539 positive antigen cases on Thursday as well. State health officials separate positives confirmed by viral and rapid/antigen testing.

The state’s seven-day average for newly reported cases is 4,986.7 — about 150 less than Christmas week but more than 1,000 cases above the state’s previous summertime peak. Cases by date of symptom onset, a measure meant to track infections at a point closer to when someone first got tested or experienced symptoms, are above the summer spike as well.

Since the start of the pandemic, 566,676 people have been infected with COVID-19 and 9,872 deaths have been reported.

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Nick Wooten
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Nick Wooten is the Accountability/Investigative reporter for the Ledger-Enquirer where he is responsible for covering several topics, including Georgia politics. His work may also appear in the Macon Telegraph. Nick was given the Georgia Press Association’s 2021 Emerging Journalist award for his coverage of elections, COVID-19 and Columbus’ LGBTQ+ community. Before joining McClatchy, he worked for The (Shreveport La.) Times covering city government and investigations. He is a graduate of Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.
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