NE Health District Adds 356 New COVID Cases And Two COVID Deaths

The Northeast Health District added 303 confirmed COVID-19 cases based on molecular tests with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Friday, the most cases added in a single day since Sept. 5.

The District also added 53 cases identified by antigen tests, which the Department of Public Health has been reporting only since Nov. 3.

The District also added two deaths from the disease and one death that the Department of Public Health listed as “probable,” meaning it is likely to have been caused by the disease.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases based on the molecular test on Friday was 190.7, up sharply from 165.0 on Thursday and the highest rolling average since Sept. 11.

The seven-day rolling average based on the added 53 antigen cases increased to 47.9 on Friday from 44.6 on Thursday. That rolling average has increased each of the last six days.

Each of the 10 counties in the Northeast Health District added cases based on the molecular tests on Friday, with Oconee County adding 12 and Clarke County adding 69.

In both counties, the seven-day rolling average of added cases increased, with the new average of 11.7 cases added per day a new record in Oconee County.

Oconee did not add any cases based on the antigen test on Friday, but Clarke County added 11 new cases based on the results of this test.

With the two confirmed deaths added in the Daily Status, the seven-day rolling average of added deaths in the Northeast Health District remained unchanged on Friday at 1.1.

The Georgia Hospital Association (GHA) and the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) reported on Friday that the number of COVID-19 patients at area hospitals (133) increased by seven from the day before, that the number of ICU beds in use (69) increased by one from the day before, and that the number of adult ventilators in use (29) increased by two from the day before.

The 133 COVID-19 patients at area hospitals is the highest level recorded going back to Aug. 21. The 69 ICU beds in use are the highest number going back to Sept. 14. Area hospitals have a capacity of 70 ICU beds without emergency expansion, which had been instituted on Sept. 14, when the hospitals had 77 ICU beds in use.

Oconee County Schools reported 13 Active COVID-19 cases on Friday, up from 10 when the school system last issued its COVID-19 Status Report on Nov. 20. In addition, Oconee County Schools listed 29 individuals in Active Quarantine Due To Close Contact, down from 130 two weeks ago.

For additional reporting on local and state developments regarding COVID-19, please click through to Oconee County Observations.