COVID Cases In NE Health District At Highest Level Since Sept. 8

The Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 239 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 based on molecular tests and 79 based on antigen tests in the 10-county Northeast Health District plus three deaths attributed to the disease.

The 239 added confirmed cases based on the molecular test are the most added in the District since Sept. 8 and pushed the seven-day rolling average of added cases to 156.1, its highest level since Sept. 15.

The Department of Public Health has included the results of the rapid antigen tests only since Nov. 3, and the 79 added cases are fewer than the 106 added on Tuesday. The seven-day rolling average of added cases, however, increased on Wednesday to 41.9 from 37.9 on Tuesday.

The three deaths added in the Daily Status Report on Wednesday included a 70-year-old male in Clarke County without a known chronic condition.

The seven-day rolling average of added, confirmed deaths in the 10-county Northeast Health District dropped to 0.9 on Wednesday from 1.1 on Tuesday.

Each of the 10 counties in the Northeast Health District added multiple COVID-19 cases based on the molecular test on Wednesday, with Oconee County adding 12 and Clarke County adding 78, the largest number it has added since Sept. 16.

The seven-day rolling average of added molecular cases in Oconee County increased to 10.1 on Wednesday, and in Clarke County it increased to 36.3.

Each of the counties except Oglethorpe also added cases based on antigen tests, with Oconee County adding five cases and Clarke County adding 11.

The Department of Community Health, in Wednesday’s Long-Term Care Facility Report, listed six new COVID-19 residents at area long-term care homes, including three at The Oaks Athens Skilled Nursing and one at University Nursing and Rehab Center, both in Athens-Clarke County.

The Department of Community Health Report also listed five new COVID-19 Positive Staff at long-term care homes in the Northeast Health District, with four of them at The Oaks Athens Skilled Nursing in Athens-Clarke County.

The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) reported on Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 patients at area hospitals (112) increased by eight from the day before, that the number of ICU beds in use (65) increased by one from the day before, and that the number of adult ventilators in use (26) increased by one from the day before.

The number of COVID-19 patients at 112 is the highest recorded at area hospitals since Aug. 27.

For more local reporting and for state data, pleases go to Oconee County Observations.