Over 1,300 COVID cases reported in Muscogee County last week. Here’s the newest data
Record-breaking numbers of COVID-19 cases were reported in Muscogee County over the past week as the omicron variant rapidly spreads, according to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
From Dec. 27-Jan. 2, 1,334 coronavirus cases and four deaths were reported in Columbus.
During the same time period, Columbus recorded its three highest single-day COVID case reports:
The previous highest single-day total occurred July 8, 2020, with 183 COVID cases being reported.
In the past two weeks, 1,972 COVID cases were reported in Muscogee County at a case rate of 1,029 cases per 100,000 people, according to DPH. This is the highest case rate the county has experienced since the start of the pandemic.
Of the 6,813 COVID-19 tests reported in Muscogee County in the last two weeks, 37.2% were positive. The county’s overall positivity rate is 13%.
Georgia’s COVID dashboard is updated every Monday through Friday, but was delayed this week due to a “large amount of data overwhelming the system,” according to an alert on the website. Data from Jan. 1-3 was released on Tuesday afternoon.
The Columbus Health Department is providing COVID-19 drive-thru testing in the Columbus Civic Center parking lot, 400 Fourth St.
The health department will be testing at this location Mondays-Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration at westcentralhealthdistrict.com is preferred, but not required.
Other numbers of note
The omicron variant accounts for 97.5% of COVID-19 cases in the southeast region of the United States, according to the COVID Dashboard from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Muscogee County is reporting that 90,332 (46%) residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 80,142 (41%) are fully vaccinated. Another 26,350 (13%) have received an additional dose of the vaccine, with 32% of those who are fully vaccinated receiving an additional dose.
The emergency departments at Piedmont Columbus Regional Midtown and Northside campuses are severely overcrowded as of Jan. 4, according to the Georgia Coordinating Center. The emergency department at St. Francis-Emory Hospital is classified as overcrowded.
There were 74 coronavirus-related hospitalizations in Columbus as of Monday, Mayor Skip Henderson told the Ledger-Enquirer.
This story was originally published January 4, 2022 at 6:43 PM.
