Georgia reports more than 100,000 confirmed coronavirus cases

ATLANTA - The state of Georgia surpassed a milestone Tuesday in the fight against the coronavirus. The state reported more than 100,000 coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic. It is the ninth state so far to have the total number of coronavirus cases reach that mark.

As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health confirmed 100,470 coronavirus cases, an increase of 3,406 cases in 24 hours, which is the second-highest single-day increase.

The GDPH reported 1,150,472 tests have been conducted, with 979,452 of those being the viral or "swab" tests. Since Monday, 20,723 new tests have been added. 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.

The percentage of positive tests also increased again by a tenth of a percent. The GDPH reports 9.4 percent of all "swab" tests came back positive. The overall percentage remained at 8.7 percent.

The most number of cases continue to be in Gwinnett County with 9,972, according to the GDPH. If the current rate continues, the county could break the 10,000 case mark with Wednesday's release of data.

For the rest of the metro Atlanta area, the GDPH reported 9,066 cases in Fulton County, 7,158 in DeKalb County, and 6,082 in Cobb County.

The total number of hospitalizations since the pandemic started in Georgia as of Tuesday were at 12,226 with 2,471 ICU admissions, an increase of 307 and 30 respectively in the last 24 hours, the GDPH reports.

Gov. Brian Kemp met with the Georgia Municipal Association on Tuesday about the coronavirus. Among the topics, the governor reportedly is pushing to not have municipalities make mask mandates. Athens-Clarke County has that issue on its agenda Tuesday evening. Just this week, Georgia's 26 state schools issued a mask directive.

Many schools are also grappling with how to safely reopen in the fall. Some school districts have released their plans, while Gwinnett County plans to look at their plans and requirements during a meeting Tuesday evening.

Face masks now required in Athens

Athens-Clarke County is now requiring all residents to wear face masks while out.

This week, the governor launched the Georgia Safety Promise, a safety campaign "to remind Georgia businesses and the public of the importance of following COVID-19 safety guidelines by agreeing to simple - yet critical - measures that help protect Georgians from COVID-19, minimize spread of the virus, and keep Georgia open for business."

“As we continue to fight COVID-19, we want to ensure Georgia businesses and the public are abiding by public health guidance in order to keep Georgia healthy and open for business,” said Governor Kemp. “The Georgia Safety Promise is a pledge between business owners and the public to join together to maintain a safe environment following Georgia Department of Public Health and CDC guidelines. By working together, we can continue to protect the lives and livelihoods of all Georgians.”

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