ATLANTA — On Thursday, the state of Georgia set a new single-day record for new COVID cases since the start of the pandemic.
According to data from Georgia's Department of Public Health, there are 24,420 new COVID cases on Dec. 30, including both PCR and antigen tests.
The previous record was set on Wednesday with 19,124, including both PCR and antigen tests.
Georgia is now averaging more than 15,000 cases a day, shattering previous records for single day and weekly averages, making this by far the biggest surge of the pandemic along with the fastest.
For some perspective, cases are up 1,533% since Thanksgiving.
Georgia is also setting records for positivity rate. The CDC wants to see that number at 5%; however, the state is currently averaging 31%. In the metro Atlanta area, that number is 48%, meaning nearly half of all COVID tests are coming back positive.
Hospitalizations are skyrocketing as well, up 225% since Thanksgiving.
Much of the spread in this surge is concentrated in the metro Atlanta area, more specifically in Clayton, Fulton, Cobb, Dekalb, Gwinnett and Henry counties.
- Clayton — The fifth-largest county in the state had 4,608 cases reported in the last two weeks by DPH. In Clayton County, two out of three tests came back positive.
- Fulton — The largest county in the state had 18,337 cases reported in the last two weeks by the DPH. In Fulton, about half of the people who got tested for COVID have the virus.
- Dekalb — The fourth-largest county in the state had 9,133 cases reported in the last two weeks by DPH.
- Gwinnett — The second largest county in the state had 8,986 cases reported in the last two weeks by DPH.
- Henry — The DPH reported the ninth-largest county in the state had 3,842 cases reported in the last two weeks.
- For Cobb, Dekalb, and Gwinnett — the positivity rate is at least eight times higher than the CDC recommendation of 5% or less.
Visit the 11Alive coronavirus page for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about Georgia specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and keep tabs on the cases around the world.
State and federal officials with the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are continually monitoring the spread of the virus. They are also working hand-in-hand with the World Health Organization to track the spread around the world and to stop it.
*Hospitalization numbers lag about five days, meaning those low numbers could increase*
THE LATEST DATA:
- As of 2:50 p.m., there have been 26,407 deaths in Georgia, an increase of 49 deaths since Wednesday. Over the last 14 days where numbers were reported by DPH, the average daily increase in newly reported deaths was 33.36 deaths each day. Over the previous 14-day period where numbers were reported, the average daily increase in newly reported deaths was 30.64.
- There have been 1,402,483 cases confirmed in Georgia, an increase of 17,877 since Wednesday. Over the last 14 days where numbers were reported by DPH, the average daily increase in newly confirmed cases were 7616.29 new cases a day. Over the previous 14-day period where numbers were reported, the average daily increase in newly confirmed cases was 1,353.
- There have been 94,582 total patients hospitalized in Georgia during the pandemic, an increase of 332 since Wednesday, according to the Department of Public Health's cumulative total. Over the last 14 days where numbers were reported, the average daily increase in new patients was 283.64 new patients a day. Over the previous 14-day period where numbers were reported, the average daily increase in new patients was 152.57.
- The Georgia Emergency Management Agency began reporting current statewide hospitalizations on May 1. That day they reported 1,500 current hospitalizations. The agency discontinued its daily report on Sept. 5, 2020, pointing instead to the newly created Georgia COVID-19 Data Hub.
- According to Georgia's new database, as of Dec. 29, there were 2,831 current hospitalizations – an increase of 267 hospitalizations since Wednesday.
- In addition, 53% of Georgians are now fully vaccinated, with 7% in-between doses, and 40% still unvaccinated.
COUNTY- CASES- DEATHS
Appling 2832 98
Atkinson 1206 32
Bacon 2001 52
Baker 247 13
Baldwin 5447 176
Banks 2573 65
Barrow 14246 199
Bartow 16782 329
Ben Hill 1886 72
Berrien 1577 51
Bibb 21456 599
Bleckley 1126 41
Brantley 1925 76
Brooks 1431 56
Bryan 4801 65
Bulloch 8181 100
Burke 2363 48
Butts 3643 114
Calhoun 618 21
Camden 6240 82
Candler 1133 50
Carroll 10993 162
Catoosa 9002 99
Charlton 1759 44
Chatham 34995 685
Chattahoochee 5519 16
Chattooga 3865 93
Cherokee 34567 464
Clarke 19088 181
Clay 239 4
Clayton 41129 747
Clinch 1034 34
Cobb 99149 1347
Coffee 6435 198
Colquitt 5752 136
Columbia 15377 260
Cook 1696 53
Coweta 15373 358
Crawford 860 40
Crisp 1895 66
Dade 1964 19
Dawson 4532 78
DeKalb 92145 1275
Decatur 3566 79
Dodge 1561 64
Dooly 1107 38
Dougherty 9490 393
Douglas 20586 255
Early 1565 53
Echols 415 5
Effingham 7249 153
Elbert 2126 72
Emanuel 2729 74
Evans 1156 35
Fannin 3363 97
Fayette 11744 227
Floyd 16706 326
Forsyth 30317 293
Franklin 3419 69
Fulton 134495 1735
Gilmer 3651 122
Glascock 198 7
Glynn 12793 307
Gordon 9190 181
Grady 2508 68
Greene 2430 65
Gwinnett 125296 1477
Habersham 6789 204
Hall 36440 661
Hancock 1061 76
Haralson 2530 48
Harris 3429 86
Hart 2416 50
Heard 1131 27
Henry 33861 501
Houston 16979 299
Irwin 914 22
Jackson 13813 223
Jasper 1145 32
Jeff Davis 1829 45
Jefferson 1884 70
Jenkins 899 43
Johnson 1052 52
Jones 2767 90
Lamar 2422 86
Lanier 811 12
Laurens 6194 212
Lee 2763 76
Liberty 6838 99
Lincoln 724 27
Long 1428 21
Lowndes 11445 236
Lumpkin 4813 94
Macon 873 40
Madison 4448 74
Marion 685 34
McDuffie 2386 63
McIntosh 1432 29
Meriwether 2450 101
Miller 1011 15
Mitchell 2243 90
Monroe 2955 119
Montgomery 1160 41
Morgan 2103 42
Murray 6658 141
Muscogee 22454 592
Newton 13196 328
Non-GA Resident/Unknown State 36207 784
Oconee 4929 74
Oglethorpe 1812 43
Paulding 19473 258
Peach 2824 96
Pickens 3863 96
Pierce 2160 90
Pike 1996 53
Polk 6825 143
Pulaski 915 42
Putnam 2809 84
Quitman 125 3
Rabun 2250 64
Randolph 621 40
Richmond 27985 611
Rockdale 10887 241
Schley 350 8
Screven 1372 35
Seminole 1239 23
Spalding 7602 292
Stephens 4707 114
Stewart 1422 30
Sumter 2932 134
Talbot 637 29
Taliaferro 130 3
Tattnall 2739 73
Taylor 809 34
Telfair 985 56
Terrell 849 56
Thomas 6195 165
Tift 4983 142
Toombs 4494 155
Towns 1614 71
Treutlen 901 45
Troup 9575 272
Turner 837 41
Twiggs 795 49
Union 3341 120
Unknown 3258 5
Upson 2942 140
Walker 10337 138
Walton 12291 326
Ware 4613 207
Warren 536 20
Washington 2421 79
Wayne 4465 160
Webster 183 7
Wheeler 626 32
White 4712 118
Whitfield 20220 332
Wilcox 651 32
Wilkes 924 27
Wilkinson 1144 42
Worth 1798 79