Numbers released by the Georgia Department of Public Health Friday paint a grim picture of the spread of coronavirus in Georgia.
In addition to reporting the largest single-day increase in cases since the pandemic began, the state also reported high single-day increases in the numbers of deaths, hospitalizations and ICU admissions.
The state added 4,484 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, shattering all previous records for single-day case increases. The state also reported 331 new hospitalizations, the largest single-day increase in two months. The state reported 46 new ICU admissions, which is also a high for that same time period. Lastly, the state reported 35 new deaths from the virus, the highest single-day increase since June 25, when the state reported 47 new deaths.
Why it Matters: Contrary to popular belief, Georgia’s surge in cases is not a result of more testing. According to medical professionals, if this spike were a result of testing alone, only the number of confirmed cases would be spiking. However, the increase in hospitalizations and ICU admissions indicates that this is a surge in the spread of the virus.
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The total number of cases in Georgia is 111,211. The total number of deaths is 2,965. The total number of hospitalizations is 12,937 and the total number of ICU admissions is 2,565.
Also on Friday, the state reported 26,926 test results. Of those results, 13.2% were positive. Overall, the state has reported 1,046,348 total COVID-19 tests, with 9.7% of those tests coming back positive. The state has reported 177,244 antibody tests, of which 5.2% came back positive.
In response to the spike in cases and hospitalizations, the overflow medical facility at the Georgia World Congress Center is being reactivated.
