Richmond County's COVID cases up 39.2%; Georgia cases surge 17.9%

Mike Stucka USA TODAY NETWORK
·3 min read
Medical workers get samples during drive-up COVID-19 testing in Augusta, Ga., in June 2020. Georgia ranked 34th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.
Medical workers get samples during drive-up COVID-19 testing in Augusta, Ga., in June 2020. Georgia ranked 34th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows.

New coronavirus cases leaped in Georgia in the week ending Sunday, rising 17.9% as 17,753 cases were reported. The previous week had 15,060 new cases of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Georgia ranked 34th among the states where coronavirus was spreading the fastest on a per-person basis, a USA TODAY Network analysis of Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the latest week coronavirus cases in the United States decreased 0.9% from the week before, with 753,773 cases reported. With 3.19% of the country's population, Georgia had 2.36% of the country's cases in the last week. Across the country, 31 states had more cases in the latest week than they did in the week before.

Read more: Georgia Rep. Allen quarantining after positive COVID-19 test

Local COVID-19 numbers

Richmond County reported 291 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 209 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 51,410 cases and 898 deaths.

Columbia County reported 237 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 116 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 36,913 cases and 390 deaths.

Aiken County reported 217 cases and one death in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 219 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 42,504 cases and 439 deaths.

Edgefield County reported 32 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 21 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 6,876 cases and 71 deaths.

Jefferson County reported 15 cases and zero deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported five cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 3,686 cases and 113 deaths.

McDuffie County reported nine cases and two deaths in the latest week. A week earlier, it had reported 20 cases and zero deaths. Throughout the pandemic it has reported 5,142 cases and 101 deaths.

Within Georgia, the worst weekly outbreaks on a per-person basis were in Jenkins County with 323 cases per 100,000 per week; Effingham County with 320; and Stewart County with 317. The Centers for Disease Control says high levels of community transmission begin at 100 cases per 100,000 per week.

Adding the most new cases overall were Fulton County, with 2,533 cases; Gwinnett County, with 1,904 cases; and DeKalb County, with 1,826. Weekly case counts rose in 112 counties from the previous week. The worst increases from the prior week's pace were in Gwinnett, Chatham and DeKalb counties.

>> See how your community has fared with recent coronavirus cases

Across Georgia

Across Georgia, cases fell in 37 counties, with the best declines in Gordon County, with 59 cases from 181 a week earlier; in Cherokee County, with 400 cases from 471; and in Glynn County, with 93 cases from 150.

In Georgia, 48 people were reported dead of COVID-19 in the week ending Sunday. In the week before that, 44 people were reported dead.

A total of 2,588,857 people in Georgia have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began, and 38,290 people have died from the disease, Johns Hopkins University data shows. In the United States 85,515,795 people have tested positive and 1,011,275 people have died.

>> Track coronavirus cases across the United States

Georgia's COVID-19 hospital admissions rising

USA TODAY analyzed federal hospital data as of Sunday, June 12.

Likely COVID patients admitted in the state:

  • Last week: 1,695

  • The week before that: 1,499

  • Four weeks ago: 1,445

Likely COVID patients admitted in the nation:

  • Last week: 59,343

  • The week before that: 56,290

  • Four weeks ago: 49,207

Hospitals in 30 states reported more COVID-19 patients than a week earlier, while hospitals in 31 states had more COVID-19 patients in intensive-care beds. Hospitals in 29 states admitted more COVID-19 patients in the latest week than a week prior, the USA TODAY analysis of U.S. Health and Human Services data shows.

The USA TODAY Network is publishing localized versions of this story on its news sites across the country, generated with data from Johns Hopkins University and the Centers for Disease Control. If you have questions about the data or the story, contact Mike Stucka at mstucka@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Richmond County reports 291 additional COVID cases