MACON, Ga. — For the past six weeks, Georgia's COVID-19 cases have continued to fall.
Last week, Gov. Brian Kemp warned about the possibility of another surge over the holidays, which is exactly what happened around this same time last year.
Right now, Georgia is averaging about 4,300 new cases a day before the preliminary window. That's down by more than half from the peak in late August when it was close to 9,700 new cases a day.
Last year, Georgia saw cases fall from July through September, reaching as low at 1,370 new cases. The large surge started at the beginning of October and eventually lead to the state's highest peak yet at around 11,000 new cases just after the new year.
Some health experts have already started urging people to get vaccinated and take precautions over the holidays to avoid a repeat surge.
In Bibb County, cases dropped by about two-thirds in the last month. Bibb averaged 63 new cases a day before the preliminary window. That's down from 190 at the peak in late August. There is still a long way to go to get down to numbers from June when Bibb averaged about three new cases a day.
Houston County also saw a significant drop in cases in the last few weeks. Houston averaged 84 new cases a day before the preliminary window compared to 212 at the peak in late August. In June, Houston had gotten down to two new cases a day.
Laurens and Washington Counties have the highest spread rates in Central Georgia, but both have seen a pretty significant drop in cases since late August.
Fewer people are dying from the virus in Georgia. Right before the preliminary window, 66 Georgians died a day. That's down from 99 two weeks before. Before this latest surge, Georgia had fewer than five people die a day in early July.
Meanwhile, Georgia keeps seeing short-lived rises and falls in hospitalizations. Right now, Georgia is averaging 214 new patients a day. That is down from close to 300 the week before, but there is not a clear trend right now. It's been more than a month since Georgia reported average numbers below 200.