MACON, Ga. — Georgia's average COVID-19 case count sits well above the peak in July of last year.
Georgia reached an average of nearly 6,300 new cases a day last week. That is within the preliminary data window, so that tally will very likely go up as the state counts more test results. It is already 25 times higher than just two months ago when Georgia averaged less than 250 new cases a day.
It's also much higher than the 4,700 cases a day at the peak in July of 2020.
Georgia is now reaching levels where we start comparing to the height of the pandemic in January. At its highest point, Georgia averaged almost 11,000 new cases a day. Georgia is more than halfway there in this latest climb.
On August 16th, which is again within the preliminary window, Georgia added 8,750 cases. The state has not seen a number that high since mid-January.
While Georgia as a whole climbs closer to case levels from January, some central Georgia counties are already there.
Bibb County now averages 153 new cases a day. That is just shy of the 160 average at the peak in January. Two months ago, Bibb averaged only three new cases a day.
On August 16th, Bibb recorded its second highest daily case count of the entire pandemic with 198 people getting the virus.
The same day, Houston County recorded its 5th highest daily case count of the pandemic at 197 new cases.
Houston's average sits slightly lower than Bibb's at 139 new cases a day, which is a far cry from two months ago when the average was two. It's also inching closer to the peak in January when Houston added 194 new cases a day on average.
Laurens and Wilkinson Counties also have some of the highest spread rates in central Georgia.
Wilkinson sits almost even with January's peak. Laurens isn't quite there yet, but did record one of its highest daily case counts of the pandemic last week.
Meanwhile, 90 percent of Georgia's ICU beds are full. Georgia averages 179 new patients a day, which doubled in the last three weeks.
On August 20th, 311 people got admitted to hospitals. That is the highest single-day total since February.
This latest surge in cases also brings more deaths.
Earlier this month, right before the preliminary window, 21 Georgians died a day on average. A month ago, it was less than five. It's the first time we've seen a steady rise in deaths since the start of the last climb in October.