ATLANTA — On Tuesday, the state of Georgia reported its second highest day of new cases during the entire pandemic. More than 13,000 new cases were reported, including both PCR and antigen tests.
The news comes almost a year after the highest day for new cases, which was on Jan. 8 of this year.
Average daily case numbers are up 694% since Thanksgiving and have tripled in just one week's time.
Georgia has also had a positivity rate above 5%, which means there is widespread community transmission, according to the CDC. On Monday, that positivity rate was six times higher than that recommended 5%.
However, while cases are continuing to climb, it should be pointed out that hospitalizations are roughly half of what they were during the last two COVID waves -- last winter's surge and the delta surge over the summer.
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 26,313 deaths in Georgia, an increase of 38 deaths since Monday. Over the last 14 days where numbers were reported by DPH, the average daily increase in newly reported deaths was 30.71 deaths each day. Over the previous 14-day period where numbers were reported, the average daily increase in newly reported deaths was 34.64.
- There have been 1,370,825 cases confirmed in Georgia, an increase of 8,295 since Monday. Over the last 14 days where numbers were reported by DPH, the average daily increase in newly confirmed cases were 5532.5 new cases a day. Over the previous 14-day period where numbers were reported, the average daily increase in newly confirmed cases was 1,295.
- There have been 93,893 total patients hospitalized in Georgia during the pandemic, an increase of 396 since Monday, 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 250.14 new patients a day. Over the previous 14-day period where numbers were reported, the average daily increase in new patients was 156.21.
- 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. 28, there were 2,202 current hospitalizations – an increase of 268 hospitalizations since Monday.
- In addition, 53% of Georgians are now fully vaccinated, with 7% in-between doses, and 40% still unvaccinated.
COUNTY- CASES- DEATHS
Appling 2823 98
Atkinson 1201 32
Bacon 1995 52
Baker 247 13
Baldwin 5375 173
Banks 2552 64
Barrow 13965 198
Bartow 16450 325
Ben Hill 1882 72
Berrien 1570 51
Bibb 21105 597
Bleckley 1116 41
Brantley 1916 76
Brooks 1418 56
Bryan 4758 65
Bulloch 8131 100
Burke 2350 48
Butts 3588 114
Calhoun 618 21
Camden 6193 82
Candler 1129 50
Carroll 10789 162
Catoosa 8919 98
Charlton 1756 44
Chatham 34365 683
Chattahoochee 5509 16
Chattooga 3839 92
Cherokee 33816 462
Clarke 18648 181
Clay 238 4
Clayton 39701 745
Clinch 1028 34
Cobb 96048 1341
Coffee 6407 196
Colquitt 5656 136
Columbia 15244 260
Cook 1689 53
Coweta 14694 357
Crawford 851 40
Crisp 1877 66
Dade 1951 19
Dawson 4472 77
DeKalb 89651 1273
Decatur 3554 79
Dodge 1553 63
Dooly 1097 38
Dougherty 9288 392
Douglas 19760 253
Early 1562 53
Echols 415 5
Effingham 7195 153
Elbert 2113 72
Emanuel 2714 73
Evans 1144 35
Fannin 3343 96
Fayette 11255 226
Floyd 16397 323
Forsyth 29581 290
Franklin 3403 69
Fulton 129507 1733
Gilmer 3622 122
Glascock 193 7
Glynn 12650 306
Gordon 9099 181
Grady 2482 68
Greene 2371 65
Gwinnett 122520 1476
Habersham 6737 201
Hall 36055 657
Hancock 1048 75
Haralson 2505 48
Harris 3368 86
Hart 2399 50
Heard 1095 27
Henry 32654 499
Houston 16696 298
Irwin 912 22
Jackson 13645 221
Jasper 1112 32
Jeff Davis 1820 45
Jefferson 1878 69
Jenkins 896 43
Johnson 1040 52
Jones 2715 90
Lamar 2389 86
Lanier 798 12
Laurens 6065 210
Lee 2723 75
Liberty 6761 99
Lincoln 715 27
Long 1419 21
Lowndes 11344 235
Lumpkin 4776 94
Macon 860 40
Madison 4384 74
Marion 677 34
McDuffie 2353 63
McIntosh 1416 29
Meriwether 2369 101
Miller 1005 15
Mitchell 2213 90
Monroe 2902 119
Montgomery 1163 41
Morgan 2024 42
Murray 6592 140
Muscogee 21994 590
Newton 12842 328
Non-GA Resident/Unknown State 34793 783
Oconee 4766 74
Oglethorpe 1787 42
Paulding 18896 258
Peach 2783 96
Pickens 3809 95
Pierce 2151 90
Pike 1971 53
Polk 6699 143
Pulaski 912 42
Putnam 2748 84
Quitman 124 3
Rabun 2246 64
Randolph 619 40
Richmond 27613 604
Rockdale 10572 240
Schley 349 8
Screven 1366 35
Seminole 1230 23
Spalding 7377 290
Stephens 4691 114
Stewart 1420 30
Sumter 2880 132
Talbot 612 28
Taliaferro 130 3
Tattnall 2729 73
Taylor 779 34
Telfair 978 56
Terrell 844 56
Thomas 6132 164
Tift 4950 142
Toombs 4462 155
Towns 1609 70
Treutlen 897 45
Troup 9299 272
Turner 828 41
Twiggs 774 49
Union 3323 120
Unknown 2974 5
Upson 2852 140
Walker 10267 138
Walton 11962 325
Ware 4597 207
Warren 530 20
Washington 2397 79
Wayne 4436 158
Webster 181 6
Wheeler 624 32
White 4682 117
Whitfield 19982 331
Wilcox 648 32
Wilkes 916 27
Wilkinson 1133 41
Worth 1789 79