GA Coronavirus Update: More Than 18,000 Cases, 687 Deaths

GEORGIA — More than 18,000 people have tested positive for the new coronavirus in Georgia, as of Sunday at noon, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

As of Sunday at noon, there have been 687 deaths, 18,301 cases, and 3,464 hospitalizations in Georgia. Deaths make up 3.75 percent of Georgia cases. From the numbers released at noon on Saturday, this is an increase of 632 cases, 44 hospitalizations and 14 deaths.

According to projection data updated Friday released by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), the state may have already reached its peak daily deaths. The IHME model projected April 7, a day that saw 100 deaths, as the peak for the state. The organization uses overall trends to identify the peak date, rather than the single highest reporter number.

The current data from this model also suggests it may be possible to relax social distancing protocol – while still maintaining containment strategies such as testing, contract tracing, isolation and limiting gathering size – after June 15.

Fulton County still has recorded the most coronavirus cases thus far, with 2,110 cases and 75 deaths. Dougherty County in southwest Georgia, where Albany is the site of the state's worst hotspot, is third with 1,422 cases but has recorded the most deaths with 94, more than any other Georgia county.

The other counties in the top 10 include DeKalb, with 1,452 cases and 24 deaths; Cobb, with 1,125 cases and 51 deaths; Gwinnett, with 1,099 cases and 38 deaths; Hall, with 621 cases and six deaths; Clayton, with 519 cases and 17 deaths; Henry, with 367 cases and seven deaths; Sumter, with 332 cases and 14 deaths; and Lee, with 272 cases and 15 deaths. Glascock and Taliaferro are the only counties to report no coronavirus cases.

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The Georgia Department of Public Health Lab has tested 5,318 people for coronavirus, with 999 positive. Commercial laboratories have tested 74,615 people with 17,302 positive.

The Georgia Department of Public Health is increasing the number of specimen collection sites statewide for coronavirus testing, and is revising the current testing criteria to handle more testing of Georgia residents.

Effective immediately, all residents who show signs of the coronavirus will be eligible for testing. Health-care workers, first responders, law enforcement and long-term care facility residents and staff will still be prioritized for testing regardless of whether they are or are not symptomatic.

According to the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, there have been more than 722,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States and nearly 65,000 of those have already recovered, as of Sunday morning. However, there have also been more than 33,900 deaths. Worldwide there are more than 2.3 million cases and 162,000 deaths.

County Updates:

• DeKalb County Coronavirus Update: 56 New Cases, No New Deaths
• Cobb County Coronavirus Update: 25 New Cases, No New Deaths
• Atlanta Coronavirus Update
• Latest Douglas County Coronavirus Update
• Latest Coronavirus Update For Cartersville, Bartow County
• Latest Coronavirus Update For Dallas, Hiram, Paulding County
• Latest Gwinnett County Coronavirus Update: Loganville-Grayson
• Cherokee Coronavirus Update: 266 Cases, 8 Deaths; School Update
• North Fulton Coronavirus: 2025 Cases, 73 Deaths; Schools Update
• Forsyth Coronavirus Update: 184 Cases, 6 Deaths; School Update