NE Health District Adds 308 COVID-19 Cases, Two Deaths

Seven-day rolling averages of added COVID-19 cases and deaths increased in the Northeast Health District on Thursday as the state Department of Public Health reported 250 new confirmed cases of the disease based on molecular tests, 58 cases based on antigen tests, and two confirmed deaths.

Every county added at least five cases based on molecular tests, with Oconee County adding 15 and Clarke County adding 66. The rolling average of added cases increased in both counties, with the average in Oconee County at its highest point ever.

The rolling average of added cases based on the molecular tests for the entire District increased to 165.0 on Thursday, up from 156.1 on Wednesday. The rolling average is the highest it has been since Sept. 14.

Since Nov. 3 the Department of Public Health also has been reporting cases identified with the rapid antigen test, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases based on this test increased to 44.6 on Thursday from 41.9 on Wednesday.

Every county in the District added cases, with Oconee County adding three and Clarke County adding nine.

The deaths were of a 67-year-old female in Barrow County with a chronic condition and of an 89-year-old male in Jackson County without a chronic condition. The new deaths bring to 58 the number listed in the Daily Status Report in Barrow county and to 52 the number in Jackson County.

For the 10-county Northeast Health District as a whole, the number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths listed in the Daily Status Report now stands at 356.

The seven-day rolling average of added confirmed deaths increased to 1.1 on Thursday from 0.9 on Wednesday.

The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) reported on Thursday that the number of COVID-19 patients at area hospitals (126) increased by 14 from the day before, that the number of ICU beds in use (68) increased by three from the day before, and that the number of adult ventilators in use (27) increased by one from the day before.

The 126 COVID-19 patients at area hospitals is the highest level recorded going back to Aug. 24. The 68 ICU beds in use are the highest number going back to Sept. 10. Area hospitals have a capacity of 70 ICU beds without emergency expansion.

The University of Georgia on Wednesday released its COVID-19 Health and Exposure Updates for Nov. 23 to 27, when the university was not in session. The total number of Positive COVID-19 tests during that time period was 71, with 41 of them local. Those numbers has been 101 and 66 a week earlier.

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