Georgia surpasses 4,900 coronavirus-related deaths. Here’s the latest state update
The Georgia Department of Public Health reported 246,741 cumulative COVID-19 cases Thursday, up by more than 2,812 new cases in 24 hours.
Here are some key takeaways from the latest data:
Cases: 246,741 (+2,812 reported today). 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.
Georgia reported 2,674 coronavirus cases a week ago on Aug. 13. The state reported 3,250 coronavirus cases two weeks ago on Aug. 6.
Deaths: 4,904 (+61 deaths in 24 hours). 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.
Tests: Georgia reported 261,409 total antibody tests and 2,096,835 total viral tests (+21,138 viral tests in 24 hours). These totals don’t include cases that are not reported through the state’s electronic lab reporting system.
Positivity rate for Georgia today: 9.2%. Georgia’s overall positivity: 10.7%
The World Health Organization’s recommended test positivity percentage is 5% to properly track outbreaks and locate milder cases of the disease.
Current COVID hospitalizations: 2,506. That’s a decrease of 67 patients in 24 hours. The count includes any patient in a Georgia hospital who has tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of the report. This count does not include patients who are being investigated for possible infection by health officials.
Total COVID hospitalizations: 22,880, an increase of 216 in 24 hours.
Hospital capacity: As of Thursday, 86% of the state’s critical care beds are full. Not all critical care beds in the state are filled with COVID-19 patients. Some regions have less than 10 critical care beds available. Region I, which includes Columbus and its surrounding counties, has six critical care beds left.
For a complete county-by-county list and additional data, visit the Georgia Department of Public Health’s website. The health department is not reporting how many Georgians have recovered.
Regional update
▪ Muscogee County reported 5,195 COVID-19 cases, an increase of 32 cases in 24 hours. The county reported 117 coronavirus-related deaths. No new deaths were reported.
Over the last two weeks, 10.3% of Muscogee County’s tests came back positive. Since the start of the pandemic, 11.6% of the county’s tests were positive. It’s unclear how many total tests were performed on Muscogee County residents.
▪ In Middle Georgia, Bibb County reported 4,354 cases, up 40 cases in 24 hours. The county reported 88 coronavirus-related deaths, an increase of two in 24 hours.
Over the last two weeks, 16.9% of Bibb County’s tests came back positive. Since the start of the pandemic, 14.8% of the county’s tests were positive. It’s unclear how many tests were performed.
▪ Fulton County reports the highest number of cumulative cases in the state at 23,068.
This story was originally published August 20, 2020 at 4:40 PM with the headline "Georgia surpasses 4,900 coronavirus-related deaths. Here’s the latest state update."