Data shows coronavirus cases steadily increasing across Georgia

ATLANTA - By now, there is little doubt confirmed coronavirus cases in Georgia are is on a steady increase after last week’s record-breaking numbers. Gov. Brian Kemp made a push for people to wear masks, embarking on a 3-day-long tour of the state ahead of the busy Fourth of July weekend to spread the word and more restrictions may be forthcoming.

As of 3 p.m. Monday, the Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed 97,064 coronavirus cases, an increase of 6,571 cases since Friday, or an average of 2,190 new cases each day. At the current rate, the state could break the 10,00 mark before the end of the week.

The GDPH reports 1,129,749 tests have been conducted, with 958,953 of those being the viral or "swab" tests. Since Friday, 64,120 new tests have been added, or an average of 21,373 per day. The number of tests is expected to dip in the next week as some testing sites and labs were closed for the Fourth of July holiday.

What the state is hoping doesn't happen is an increase in positive tests following the holiday weekend. Already, the percentage of positive test results has increased over the last week. The GDPH states the number of swab tests coming back as positive has increased several tenths of a percent to 9.3% and overall positive test results have gone up as well to 8.7%.

The most number of cases continue to be in Gwinnett County with 9,787, according to the GDPH. If the current rate continues, the county could break the 10,000 case mark by the end of this week.

For the rest of the metro Atlanta area, the GDPH reports 8,883 in Fulton County, 7,050 in DeKalb County, and 5,857 in Cobb County.

Current hospitalizations in Georgia is now at 11,919 with 2,441 ICU admissions, the GDPH reports.

Dougherty County was the site of a supercluster outbreak back in April. According to Phoebe Putney Health, they have seen 449 patients recover and 136 deaths.

“Today, we feel compelled to share our most current numbers since we are over 50 COVID-19 patients for the first time since late May. Friday, we admitted seven new COVID-19 patients in Albany, our highest one-day total since May 22, and we know other communities in Georgia are currently seeing even greater increases,” wrote Scott Steiner, Phoebe Putney Health System Chief Executive Officer.

Coronavirus cases in metro Atlanta continue to rise

New data on Monday show an increase in cases over the weekend.

As of noon on Monday, Phoebe Putney Health has 57 cases at two of their facilities.

“These numbers should serve as a warning to every Georgian. This virus has not gone away. People are still getting sick, and the number of patients requiring hospitalization is increasing,” Steiner said.

According to the GDPH, Dougherty County has seen 2,001 confirmed cases with 155 deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

“The only way to reverse that trend is through adherence to CDC guidelines. That means wearing masks, practicing proper social distancing, avoiding crowds and washing or sanitizing your hands often. We encourage Georgians to recommit themselves to following these guidelines to protect themselves and those around them,” said Steiner.

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