Georgia records new highest single-day increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases

ATLANTA - Saturday marked a new single-day increase in the COVID-19 cases in Georgia since the start of the pandemic. The state has now recorded 26 straight days of quadruple-digit daily increases in confirmed coronavirus cases, according to daily data released by the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Since July 7, GDPH has reported an average increase in cases of 3,465 each day. During that 10-day period, new cases added each day did not fall below 2,500 and in the last 26 days, new daily cases have remained above a thousand.

As of 3 p.m. Saturday, the GDPH reports a total of 139,872 confirmed coronavirus cases in Georgia since the start of the pandemic, an addition of 4,689 within the last 24 hours. The previous single-day record was set on July 10 with an increase of 4,484 confirmed cases.

There have been a total of 14,961 patients hospitalized since the start of the pandemic, the GDPH reports.

The death toll is at 3,168, per the GDPH, a number that includes an addition of 36 deaths within the last 24 hours.

RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.

Know how the COVID-19 outbreak is impacting Georgia

Best prevention measures:

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least twenty seconds.

• If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

• Stay home when you are sick.

• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces