Georgia tops 15,000 COVID deaths

The Georgia Department of Public Health Friday reported 2,265 new cases of COVID-19 and 1,380 antigen-positive cases. Health officials also reported 20 new deaths from the coronavirus in a single 24-hour period.

At least 15,007 people in Georgia have died with the virus since the outbreak began. The state lists another 2,212 fatalities as “probable” COVID deaths.

Recent figures from the Department of Community Health show residents of long-term care facilities account for 27.7% of Georgia’s COVID-related deaths.

GEORGIA LONG-TERM CARE COVID STATS

The number of new infections in the state continues to decline. Georgia’s two-week positivity rate dipped to 7.9% on Friday. Northeast Georgia’s largest healthcare system reported the 7-day rolling average of positive COVID tests among its facilities was 7.89%, down from a record-high 35.79% on January 8.

On February 26, NGHS reported 100 available beds across its four hospital campuses. There were 17 available ICU beds at its hospitals in Gainesville and Braselton. Of the 626 in-patients, 97 were being treated for COVID. Ventilator usage dropped to 32%.

Statewide on Friday, there were 2,016 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, accounting for 12.7% of all acute care hospital admissions in Georgia. State data shows another 460 patients were under investigation for COVID.

Here are Georgia’s cumulative totals from March 7, 2020, when the first COVID cases in the state were reported to February 26, 2021:

• 814,820 confirmed cases
• 186,002 antigen-positive cases
• 15,007 confirmed deaths
• 2,212 probable deaths
• 55,778 hospitalizations
• 9,087 ICU admissions

According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, at least 510,467 people in the United States have died with the virus. Public health officials have confirmed over 28.4 million COVID cases in the country in the past year.

Northeast Georgia

Friday marked the fourth day in a row that Habersham County did not record any new virus-related deaths. At least 136 Habersham residents have died with the virus since the county reported its first death on April 11, 2020.

Habersham has the second-highest COVID-related death toll in Northeast Georgia, behind only Hall County.

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The Georgia Department of Public Health reported a single-day increase Friday of 120 new infections and 1 death in Northeast Georgia:

• Hall County: 29 new cases and no deaths
• Clarke County: 16 new cases and no deaths
• Jackson County: 21 new cases and no deaths
• Habersham County: 4 new cases and no deaths
• White County: 2 new case and no deaths
• Stephens County: 5 new case and no deaths
• Oconee County: 9 new cases and no deaths
• Madison County: 13 new cases and no deaths
• Franklin County: 3 new cases and no deaths
• Union County: 3 new cases and no deaths
• Hart County: 4 new cases and no deaths
• Banks County: 2 new cases and no deaths
• Elbert County: 3 new cases and 1 death
• Rabun County: 2 new cases and no deaths
• Towns County: 4 new cases and no deaths

County-by-county COVID-19 statistics released by the Georgia Department of Public Health as of 2:50 p.m. February 26, 2021. (Northeast Georgia counties in bold):