Columbus-area COVID cases surge to level not seen in months. Check out the data
Muscogee County’s COVID-19 cases have been steadily increasing over the past week, following statewide trends. But Chattahoochee County is reporting fewer new infections.
Here’s a breakdown of recent coronavirus trends in the Columbus area for the past seven days, as well as numbers of note since the start of the pandemic.
Muscogee County
Muscogee County reported 894 new COVID-19 cases within the last two weeks on Aug. 12, the most since Feb. 6.
As of Aug. 12, Muscogee County reported 467 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past two weeks, more than double what the two-week case rate was on Aug. 1.
There were two COVID-related deaths in the county during the past week. Since the start of the pandemic, Muscogee County has reported 16,281 coronavirus cases and 443 deaths.
Over the last week, 2,797 new viral tests were reported, and Muscogee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 24.2%. Since the start of the pandemic, 11.8% 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 25-34 account for 3,177 (about 19.5%) of Columbus’ cases since the pandemic began; that is the largest portion. Female residents account for 9,137 (56%) of the county’s cases. Black residents account for 7,318 (45%) of Columbus’ cases, while white residents make up the second largest demographic with 5,602 (34.4%) cases.
Chattahoochee County
Chattahoochee County reported 326 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people on Aug. 12. This number has significantly decreased since Aug. 1, when the two-week case rate was 763 cases per 100,000 people.
As of Aug. 12, Chattahoochee County reported 35 new cases and no deaths in the past two weeks. This is down from the 82 cases reported in a two-week period on Aug. 1. The county has reported 4,242 cases and 13 deaths since the pandemic began.
There were 66 new viral tests reported in the last week, and Chattahoochee County’s test positivity rate for the past two weeks is 20.7%. Since the start of the pandemic, 6.4% of tests performed in the county have been positive.
Young people in Chattahoochee County account for the largest portion of cases with 3,181 (about 75%) of the county’s cases since the pandemic began. Male residents accounted for the majority of Chattahoochee County’s COVID-19 cases with 3,951 (93%) of the cases. White residents make up the largest demographic with 2,955 (about 70%) cases.
It is important to note that all residents and soldiers-in-training at Fort Benning who test positive for COVID-19 are counted toward Chattahoochee County’s totals.
Georgia update
Total cases: 977,482 (+27,940 reported since Aug. 6). 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.
Total deaths: 18,942 (+148 deaths since Aug. 6). 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.
Positivity rate for Georgia today: 10.7%. The rate over the past two weeks is 16% positive in the last two weeks.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 194 hospitalizations reported on Aug. 12
More information about COVID-19 data in Georgia can be found on DPH’s COVID-19 status website.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 1:29 PM.
