State And Region Report Big Jumps In Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

The state of Georgia recorded 1,525 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the 24-hour-period that ended at noon on Friday, the largest number of new cases ever recorded in the Department of Public Health’s Daily Status Report.

The 10-county Northeast Health District, which includes Oconee and Clarke County, recorded 38 new cases on Friday, the second largest number of new cases listed for the region in the Daily Status Report.

Oconee County now has 48 confirmed COVID-19 cases, up from 45 on Thursday, and Clarke County has 106, up from 102 on Thursday.

The state recorded 63 new deaths attributable to the Novel Coronavirus on Friday, the second largest number of new deaths in a Daily Status Report since the Department of Public Health began releasing the Daily Status Reports on March 12.

The Northeast Health District had no new deaths recorded in the Friday Daily Status Report, and the total for the region stands at 22. That number has not changed for two day.

The data released by the Department of Public Health reflect differences in reporting based on day of the week, and the rolling or moving average of confirmed cases at the state and local level indicate the disease is continuing to spread.

Oconee County Coroner Ed Carson said on Friday that he received two test kits from the Department of Public Health just before noon, the first kits he has received to allow him to test for the Novel Coronavirus as a cause of death.

Carson said that Clarke County Coroner Sonny Wilson also received his first two test kits from the Department of Public Health on Friday.

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