Area Hospitals Report Only One Critical Care Bed Available

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency reported on Thursday that the number of Critical Care Beds in use at area hospitals increased by nine over Thursday. The hospitals increased the Critical Care Bed capacity by five to 75, and one Critical Care Bed was listed as available.

The nine hospitals in the area surrounding Oconee and Clarke counties are asked to provide their data on bed availability by noon each day, according to the Agency. The report was dated at 4:10 p.m. on Thursday.

The Department of Public Health on Thursday reported 173 new Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the 10-county Northeast Health District on Thursday, with nine of those case in Oconee County and 34 in Clarke County.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases in the District dropped to 148.1 from 152.0 on Wednesday because a record 200 cases had been added a week ago.

The Department of Public Health reported no new deaths from COVID-19 in the 10-county District on Thursday, and the seven-day rolling average of added deaths remained unchanged at 0.3

The Department of Community Health reported three new COVID-19 cases among staff at the Social Circle Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Walton County and six new COVID-19 positive staff at the same facility.

The Georgia Department of Labor on Thursday released its preliminary estimates of unemployment rates in the state and its 159 counties, showing evidence of an easing of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

Across the state and in each of the 10 counties that make up the Northeast Health District, the unemployment rate dropped in June from May, based on the preliminary estimates.

For more on the story, please go to Oconee County Observations.