GA reporting ‘hard-fought gains’ in COVID-19 battle as Bibb County numbers improve
While Middle Georgia has made improvements over the past month in the COVID-19 battle, local, state and federal data indicates there’s still work to do.
The number of new coronavirus cases in Bibb County dropped 46% between the most recent two-week reporting periods, according to the North Central Health District. The average of cases per 100,000 residents from Aug. 24 to Sept. 6 was 247, down from 460 the previous two weeks. More than 25% of new cases from Aug. 24-Sept. 6 were young adults ages 18-24.
In Baldwin County, the current two-week incidence rate is at 580 out of 100,000, a drop of nearly 50%. In Houston County, the incidence rate has fallen below 200, down 33%.
However, most counties in Georgia still fall into red or yellow zones, according to the White House coronavirus task force, which indicates high rates of new cases and a lack of widespread testing.
Middle Georgia Cases
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 16,693 cumulative COVID-19 cases in Middle Georgia in its 3 p.m. update Wednesday.
Here are key takeaways:
Cases: 16,693 (+722 reported since Wednesday, Sept. 9). Bibb County has recorded the most positive cases with 5,853.
Deaths: 500 (+30 reported since Wednesday, Sept. 9). 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.
Hospitalizations: In Region F, which includes Bibb County and much of Middle Georgia, 78.6% of hospital beds were in use, 75.2% of ICU beds were in use and 35.7% of adult ventilators were in use.
Cases per person: Baldwin County has the most cases per 100,000 with 4,411. Bibb is next with 3,846 cases per 100,000 people. Crawford has one of the lowest rates in the state, with 1,341 per 100,000.
The following is a breakdown of cumulative cases and deaths for counties in Middle Georgia.
Bibb 5,853 cases - 154 deaths
Houston 2,945 - 75
Baldwin 1,960 - 55
Laurens 1,527 - 60
Monroe 649 - 45
Washington 641 - 7
Peach 628 - 20
Jones 514 - 6
Bleckley 419 - 19
Dodge 373 - 9
Wilkinson 315 - 17
Pulaski 301 - 12
Macon 225 - 10
Twiggs 179 - 7
Crawford 164 - 4
The state reported 2,265 new cases across the state and 24 new deaths Wednesday.
Federal and county information
According to the Georgia Department of Health, the seven-day average of new cases reported is down by 11.3% from Sept. 7 through Sept 14. This is down 54% from the state’s peak on July 24. The highest percentage of cases are in large counties in the metro Atlanta area. The state reported over 2.56 million COVID-19 tests as of Sept. 8.
White House report: Dublin remains in a “red zone” according to the latest update from the White House Coronavirus Task Force, which means the city is reporting more than 100 new cases per 100,000 people and has a test positivity rate above 10%.
Macon, Milledgeville and Warner Robins are in yellow zones, which indicates the cities reported between 10-100 new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people and a test positivity rate of between 5-10%. Over the last five weeks, the number of Georgia counties in the red zone has decreased from 109 to 47.
The state of Georgia is still in the red zone for cases indicating more than 100 new cases per 100,000 population last week, reporting the 14th highest case rate in the country.
Georgia is in the yellow zone for test positivity between 5% and 10%, the 13th highest rate in the country. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, a high positivity rate may indicate Georgia “is only testing the sickest patients who seek medical attention, and is not casting a wide enough net to know how much of the virus is spreading within its communities.”
Georgia has seen a decrease in new cases and stability in test positivity over the last week. The White House task force wrote that “progress is evident and needs to continue and ensure no reversal of hard-fought gains.”
The task force recommends that residents in a red zone implement the following measures:
Wear a mask at all times outside the home and maintain physical distance
Limit social gatherings to 10 people or fewer
Do not go to bars, nightclubs, or gyms
Use take out or eat outdoors socially distanced
Protect anyone with serious medical conditions at home by social distancing at home and using high levels of personal hygiene, including handwashing and cleaning surfaces
Reduce your public interactions and activities to 25% of your normal activity
According to the North Central Health District, the COVID-19 incidence rate for Bibb County residents over the most recent reporting period (Aug. 24- Sept. 6) was 247 cases per 100,000 residents. The previous two-week incidence rate was 460 per 100,000. From Aug. 24 through Sept. 6, 95% of cases were linked to community spread and not a specific outbreak. The vast majority of cases linked to outbreaks were associated with congregate care settings, such as nursing homes.
The report indicates the median age of people who have contracted COVID-19 is 41, while the median age of people who have died from the virus is 74.
Hancock County was the only NCHD county to report an increase in the new case rate, up to 287 from 240.
The North Central Health District covers 13 counties, including Macon-Bibb, Houston and Peach. It also includes the following colleges and universities Georgia College, Fort Valley State, Mercer and Middle Georgia State University.