MACON, Ga. — Georgia continues to recover from the surge in new COVID-19 cases that happened around the holidays.
In January, the state cut its average daily case count almost in half. The latest peak topped out at an average of 7,213 new cases a day, and in less than three weeks, case counts dropped to nearly half of that.
Right before the state's two-week preliminary window, Georgia averaged 4,120 new cases. That also drops Georgia to levels below what we saw in the peak over the summer with an average of 4,463 at its highest point in July.
Some Central Georgia counties like Bibb and Houston also saw significant drops in their case curves last month.
Bibb County's numbers never passed July's peak of 112 new cases a day, but starting in mid-January, Bibb went from 106 new cases a day down to 51 right before the preliminary window.
Houston County also cut its average case count in half from an all-time high of 104 new cases on the first of the year to just 48 cases a day by the end of the month. That finally put Houston's average below July's peak of 51.
Most Central Georgia counties show drops in their case counts, but Baldwin's latest numbers show quite the opposite with numbers steadily climbing starting in mid-January. Baldwin averaged 16 new cases a day before the preliminary data window and the increase already continues into that territory.
Meanwhile, Georgia healthcare workers are finally getting some relief. Right now, the state is averaging around 230 people hospitalized each day.
Less than two weeks ago, that average sat closer to 277 and it is a definite improvement from the highest point of 308 new patients a day in mid-January.
However, the average hasn't dipped below 200 since the beginning of December.
Georgia is also seeing fewer deaths tied to COVID-19 in the state.
In mid-January, 96 people died a day, which is the highest throughout the pandemic. Within about two weeks, the average daily death total dropped by close to a third with 69 Georgians dying daily from the virus before the preliminary window.
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