UPDATE [7 p.m.]: Georgia recorded 16 new coronavirus-related deaths since noon, bringing the state's toll to 480, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
In addition, 306 more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, which brings Georgia’s total to 13,621. Of those, 2,702 patients have been hospitalized at some point, which is about 19.8% of all cases.
Of the 86 counties to report at least one death from COVID-19, Dougherty remained the hardest hit with 78, followed by Fulton with 52 and Cobb with 36. Gwinnett, Richmond and Paulding recorded two deaths since noon Monday, tying for the most in the update.
Since Sunday evening, Georgia recorded 38 new deaths.
Credit: Georgia Department of Public Health
Credit: Georgia Department of Public Health
More than 57,000 tests have been conducted across the state, and about 23.9% of those have returned positive results.
At least 68.8% of those who died had a preexisting condition, but the DPH did not know that information for about 27.9% of the victims. Only 16 were confirmed to not have another condition that could have contributed to their death aside from COVID-19.
The DPH also releases compiled data of the race and ethnicity of patients, but nearly 58.8% of patients had their race listed as unknown.
Of the remaining percentage, about 22.1% were black, 16.4% were white and 0.7% were Asian, according to the latest data. About 3.3% of patients were listed as having Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.
The DPH recently expanded the race and ethnicity data to include those who died from the virus. The information for all but 41 victims was known.
A little more than half of those who died were black, while 37.7% were white, according to the latest data. Those with Hispanic ethnicity made up 2.9% of the death toll, while Asians comprised 1.3%.
Only two counties, Glascock and Taliaferro, have not recorded their first case, according to the DPH. The remaining 157 counties in Georgia have at least one, with Fulton topping the list with 1,635 confirmed cases.
Upson County recorded the most new cases since noon with 61, which doubled the number of cases in the county. Fulton had the next biggest increase with 37 cases, followed by Cobb with 34 and Dougherty with 28.
Since Sunday evening, Georgia recorded 1,074 new cases.
Credit: Georgia Department of Public Health
Credit: Georgia Department of Public Health
As of 7 p.m. Monday, there were 1,006 cases in DeKalb, 816 in Cobb, 766 in Gwinnett, 396 in Clayton, 319 in Hall, 289 in Henry, 223 in Bartow, 204 in Cherokee, 177 in Douglas, 143 in Forsyth, 106 in Fayette, 101 in Rockdale, 100 in Paulding and 93 in Newton.
Patients between the ages of 18 and 59 make up the majority of cases at 60%, while those 60 and older make up 35% of cases. The DPH does not release compiled data on how many patients have recovered.
For the full update, click here.
ORIGINAL STORY [noon]: Newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus have pushed Georgia's number of infections past 13,000 Monday.
According to the latest data available from the Georgia Department of Public Health, officials have confirmed 13,315 cases and 464 deaths related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus. Twenty-two more deaths have been reported since Sunday night.
Monday’s new cases represent an increase of about 6% from the day before. More are expected to be counted among them when the health department releases its next update at 7 p.m.
» COMPLETE COVERAGE: Coronavirus in Georgia
Even as growth has slowed, it has become commonplace in recent days for Georgia’s number of infections to increase by the hundreds. Cases are easily rising through the thousands daily.
Officials say the numbers are not a reflection of the virus’ spread in real time. It takes time to verify the data coming in from coroners, hospitals and other officials all across the state, according to Dr. Kathleen Toomey, the state public health commissioner.
» COMPLETE COVERAGE: Coronavirus in Georgia
Since the outbreak began, 2,589 have been hospitalized across the state, according to officials. As of Monday, more than 57,000 tests have been conducted between state and commercial laboratories, with more than 2,500 new tests performed in the past 24 hours.
» DASHBOARD: Real-time stats and charts tracking coronavirus in Georgia
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As testing slowly expands and the virus spreads, fewer Georgia counties remain untouched. Only two, Glascock and Taliaferro, have not confirmed a single case.
Elsewhere, infections have ballooned. The two hardest-hit counties, Fulton and Dougherty, have confirmed nearly 3,000 cases between them. Dougherty County in southwest Georgia, which has become a hot spot of the coronavirus crisis in Georgia, has confirmed 77 deaths as of Monday, more than any other Georgia county.
In metro Atlanta, there are 1,598 cases of the virus in Fulton County, 980 in DeKalb, 782 in Cobb, 739 in Gwinnett, 391 in Clayton, 292 in Hall, 280 in Henry, 216 in Bartow, 214 in Carroll, 198 in Cherokee, 167 in Douglas, 100 in Rockdale and 91 each in Newton and Paulding.
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More than half the counties in the state have reported a death related to COVID-19. On Monday, Crisp, Seminole and Pulaski counties reported their first deaths. The overwhelming majority of deaths have occurred in those above the age of 60, and most were men.
About 69% had underlying health conditions, according to officials.
Those who believe they are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19 are asked to contact their primary care doctor or an urgent care clinic. Do not show up unannounced at an emergency room or health care facility.
Georgians can also call the state COVID-19 hotline at 844-442-2681 to share public health information and connect with medical professionals.
— Please return to AJC.com for updates.
