[8:30 p.m.]: Georgia has recorded 1,000 coronavirus deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
At 8:25 p.m., the DPH added four COVID-19 deaths to Georgia’s count, bringing the toll to 1,000.
However, the DPH’s updates Monday evening continue to have discrepancies when comparing the totals to the county-by-county breakdowns. The number of individual deaths by county adds up to 982 deaths, meaning there’s an 18-death discrepancy.
Cases of COVID-19 in Georgia remained at 24,225, according to the DPH, but the county-by-county data remains nearly 1,000 cases off. The individual county numbers add up to 23,252 cases.
The number of total hospitalizations in Georgia due to the virus is 4,747, and there is no discrepancy on that count. More than 1,000 patients have been admitted into a hospital’s intensive care unit at some point due to COVID-19.
AJC.com typically breaks down the update more specifically, recording changes by county, race and ethnicity in addition to several other figures. Due to the number of discrepancies, AJC.com has requested more clarity from the DPH before proceeding.
For the full update, click here.
UPDATE [7 p.m.]: The Georgia Department of Public Health announced that nearly 1,000 Georgians have died due to COVID-19.
Since noon, the DPH recorded an additional 52 coronavirus deaths, bringing the state’s toll to 994. However, the county-by-county breakdown of cases and deaths adds up to 981 deaths, meaning there is a 13-death discrepancy.
AJC.com has reached out to the DPH for clarification on the accuracy of the update, which is dated at 6:25 p.m.
In addition, 452 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed since noon, bringing the state’s total to 24,225. The county-by-county spreadsheet in the DPH’s update also has a discrepancy, showing 23,241 cases.
Of those, 4,744 patients have been hospitalized at some point, which is about 19.6% of all cases. There is no discrepancy on total hospitalizations.
AJC.com typically breaks down the update more specifically, recording changes by county, race and ethnicity in addition to several other figures. Due to the number of discrepancies, AJC.com has requested more clarity before proceeding.
For the full update, click here.
ORIGINAL STORY [noon]: Georgia's known coronavirus infections number 23,773 and its death toll stands at 942, officials said Monday.
The latest figures from the Georgia Department of Public Health represent a 1.2% rise in new cases since data was last released Sunday night. Twenty-six more Georgians were counted among the dead Monday.
Since Friday, when the state began reopening its economy, 43 deaths have been reported, according to health officials. In-person dining at restaurants and movie theaters are among the businesses allowed to resume operations Monday under Gov. Brian Kemp's next phase of the coronavirus crisis response.
All of Georgia remains under a shelter-in-place order until Thursday, while the medically fragile are encouraged to remain home through May 13. The governor is expected to provide an update at a news conference scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Monday.
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New COVID-19 infections have increased at a rate of less than 5% since early last week, according to data from the health department. If that trend holds, Georgia could surpass its 25,000th confirmed case in the next few days.
Researchers at Georgia Tech, Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital have warned that the virus in Georgia is not contained and a second wave could be coming. If the state loosens its restrictions in the next month, cases and deaths could swell, projections show.
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One widely cited model by the University of Washington shows that the state will reach peak resource use Tuesday, and deaths will peak the following day. The model projects that as many as 2,200 Georgians could die of COVID-19 in the coming months.
The true extent of the crisis in Georgia has been difficult to quantify. Officials say daily counts do not reflect the crisis in real time and are lagging as data rolls in from local officials and hospitals around the state. They may also be adjusted as the health department receives additional information.
Cases have been identified in all but two Georgia counties, Glascock and Taliaferro. Lumpkin County in northeast Georgia reported its first death Monday for a total of 109 counties with a verified death related to COVID-19.
Of the cases confirmed statewide since the outbreak began, roughly 4% have been deadly, according to officials. Most of those who died were above the age of 60 or had underlying health conditions.
Metro Atlanta counties continue to lead in number of cases, although Dougherty County in southwest Georgia has seen the most deaths. No new deaths were reported Monday in Dougherty, but Gwinnett County verified another three.
There are now 2,593 cases of the virus in Fulton, 1,821 in DeKalb, 1,520 in Gwinnett, 1,452 in Cobb, 1,039 in Hall, 643 in Clayton, 455 in Henry, 376 in Cherokee, 329 in Carroll, 288 in Bartow, 281 in Douglas, 260 in Forsyth, 167 in Newton, 163 in Rockdale, and 161 in Paulding.
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The state is attempting to curb the spread of the virus by increasing its testing capacity. Nearly 130,000 COVID-19 tests have been conducted across the state as of Monday, officials said.
Just one week ago, state and commercial labs had conducted less than 80,000 tests. An additional 4,565 were performed since Sunday night.
With dozens of drive-thru testing sites already in operation in metro Atlanta, Kemp announced on Sunday that the state is bringing additional sites online in rural Georgia. The sites will rotate between Tifton, Milledgeville and Hephzibah, according to the governor’s office.
On Monday, the health department announced it would partner with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Fulton and DeKalb boards of health to conduct an antibody testing survey.
The tests, which will be conducted at randomly selected homes in the next week, are intended to identify people who were previously infected with COVID-19. Officials hope it will give them a better picture of the virus’ impact in the two highly populated Atlanta counties and prevent further spread.
» MORE: CDC, Georgia to conduct coronavirus antibody survey in Fulton, DeKalb
Since April 15, anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 is eligible to be tested. Testing is still prioritized for health care workers, first responders and other critical workers regardless of whether they are showing symptoms.
Those who believe they are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19 are asked to contact their local health department, their primary care doctor or an urgent care clinic. Do not show up unannounced at a testing site, emergency room or other 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.
