April 23: New COVID-19 cases spike in Georgia and Augusta
New COVID-19 infections in Georgia spiked to a level not seen in nearly two months on Friday as Augusta continued to see a surge in new cases.
Georgia added 1,273 new cases, the highest level since March 5, to reach 873,669 with 33 new deaths for 17,337, the Department of Public Health reported.
Richmond County saw 32 new cases for 19,706 and has added 112 new infections since Monday, according to an analysis by the Augusta Chronicle. Other area counties had seven new cases or fewer: seven in Columbia for 10,969, two in Burke for 1,768, three in McDuffie for 1,658, one in Jenkins for 725 and two in Warren for 375. All other area counties were unchanged: Jefferson at 1,576, Screven at 809, Wilkes at 669, Lincoln at 508, Glascock at 144 and Taliaferro at 100.
Augusta Chronicle. The seven-day average ticked up, however, from 937.86 to 938.43, the analysis showed.
Georgia had given 5,596,431 of the 6,234,605 doses it had received through Thursday or 89.76%,
Chronicle analysis found. However, the state has not updated how much vaccine it has been shipped since last Friday. Georgia was averaging 50,712 shots a day through Thursday, the analysis showed.
University Hospital was up to 20 COVID-19 inpatients Thursday, two more than Wednesday, after discharging four patients and admitting six, said spokeswoman Rebecca Sylvester.
AU Health System remained at 20 in the hospital and added 21 new positive tests for 26,494, spokeswoman Christen Engel said.
Doctors Hospital of Augusta was up one to 14 patients in the hospital and saw two more cases for 797 total, spokesman Kaden Jacobs said.
Richmond County saw 18 new cases for 19,648 and Columbia County had 11 more for 10,947. Other area counties saw four new cases or fewer: three in Burke for 1,761, four in McDuffie for 1,650, two in Jefferson for 1,575, one in Screven for 809 and one in Warren for 373. All other area counties were unchanged: Jenkins at 723, Lincoln at 506, Glascock at 144 and Taliaferro at 100.
Richmond County suffered a new death for 405 total, raising the area s toll to 1,030.
Georgia Public Health got the results of 15,809 new tests, of which 5.96% were positive, well below the overall rate of 10.07%, which fell slightly, according to an analysis by the
Augusta Chronicle. The seven-day average for new cases also continued to drop, from 957.57 to 937.86, the analysis showed.
New COVID-19 infections crept up Tuesday in Georgia but deaths stayed low for both Georgia and South Carolina with less than a dozen between them, including none in the Aiken or Augusta areas.
Georgia added 927 new cases to reach 870,517 with nine new deaths for 17,250, the Department of Public Health reported.
Richmond County saw 14 more for 19,630 total and was the only area county to see more than 10 new cases. Some area counties had seven or fewer new cases: seven in Columbia for 10,936, two in Burke for 1,758, four in McDuffie for 1,646, and one in Warren for 372. All other area counties were unchanged: Jefferson at 1,573, Screven at 808, Jenkins at 723, Wilkes at 668, Lincoln at 506, Glascock at 144 and Taliaferro at 100.