13 Middle GA counties are at high risk for COVID-19 spread, health department says
The Georgia Department of Public Health released updated COVID-19 case, laboratory testing and emergency department visitation data, noting which counties have reported high transmission rates or are susceptible to significant coronavirus spread.
According to the DPH County Indicator Report, Bibb County has reported more than 8,900 cumulative coronavirus cases, including an average of 417 between Dec. 12-18 and 538 between Dec. 19-25. The county’s 14-day case rate per 100,000 people is 624, compared to Houston County at 587 and Peach County at 458. Bibb County is up from 538 in last week’s report for the 14-day case rate per 100,000 people.
Over the past two weeks, the county’s positivity rate for PCR COVID-19 tests was 19.8%: a rate below 10% indicates a sufficient number of people are being tested. The percentage of emergency department visits in Bibb County ERs related to COVID-19 is at 7%.
The report listed Bibb County as an “emerging county,” which means the county has reported a greater than 5% increase in COVID-19 cases from the previous seven-day reporting period.
In Middle Georgia, all 13 North Central Health District counties have indications of high coronavirus transmission, according to the health department. A high transmission county has a 14-day cases rate of more than 100 cases for 100,000 county residents and an average of more than 10% in positive tests results during that 14 day period.
The NCHD covers 13 counties, including Bibb, Houston and Peach. It also includes the following colleges and universities: Georgia College, Fort Valley State, Mercer and Middle Georgia State University.
Middle Georgia Cases
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 28,335cumulative COVID-19 cases in Middle Georgia in its 3 p.m. update Monday.
Here are key takeaways:
Cases: 28,335. Bibb County has recorded the most cumulative positive cases with 9,082
Deaths: 826. 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, 75.49% of hospital beds were in use, 87.98% of ICU beds were in use and 44.78% of adult ventilators were in use.
Cases per person: Baldwin County has the most cases per 100,000 with 6,399. Bibb is next with 5,969 cases per 100,000 people. Macon County has one of the lowest rates in the state, with 2,725 per 100,000.
County Indicator Report: Jones, Hancock, Baldwin, Crawford, Peach, Upson, Houston, Macon, Laurens, Dodge, Bleckley and Wilkinson are listed as emerging counties. An emerging county has seen a greater than 5% increase in COVID cases from the previous seven day period.
The following is a breakdown of cumulative cases and deaths for counties in Middle Georgia.
- Bibb 9,082 cases - 237 deaths
- Houston 5,841- 112
- Baldwin 2,843- 72
- Laurens 2,656 - 113
Monroe 1,215 - 60
Washington 1,129 - 26
Peach 1,161- 29
Jones 986 - 23
Dodge 813 - 44
- Bleckley 629 - 30
- Wilkinson 510 - 18
- Pulaski 429 - 25
- Macon 354 - 15
Crawford 347 - 7
- Twiggs 340 - 15
DPH reported 3,165 new cases across the state and five new deaths Monday.