MACON, Ga. — Georgia's latest COVID-19 case curve confirms what health experts warned about for months. The state continues to see an increase in cases heading into the holiday season. The rise in the curve starts at the end of September.
Numbers already reported in the last two weeks, which fall within the state's two-week preliminary window, indicate that increase is going to continue.
Georgia nearly doubled it's average daily case count from the end of September to mid-November, already reporting around 1,950 new cases a day. Since this falls in the preliminary window, that number is likely to increase as the state adds in new test results.
Compared to earlier in the pandemic, Georgia now has almost half as many new cases a day as the peak in July, and the latest numbers are about four and a half times those reported in March when the state initially banned large gatherings.
Meanwhile, Bibb county averages eight times as many new cases a day compared to March, recording an average of 24 a day right before the preliminary data window. It's more than double the recent low point reported at the end of September.
In Houston County, cases also more than doubled from the end of September. Before the preliminary window, Houston averaged more than 18 new cases a day, nearing half of the peak in July at 49 new cases a day.
Several other central Georgia counties including Baldwin, Laurens, and Peach also report increases heading into the Thanksgiving holiday.
State numbers do show more people getting tested for COVID-19 recently, but data also shows a higher percentage of those tests coming back positive for the virus.
Georgia's healthcare workers aren't getting any breaks on the front lines. Across the state, hospitals report an average of 117 new COVID-19 patients a day. That grew from less than 100 new patients not even three weeks ago.
There is a slight decrease in COVID-19-related deaths, but numbers still show an average of 21 Georgians dying a day.
All of this comes as health experts continue to urge you to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday at home and with only the people in your household to avoid these numbers climbing higher leading up to Christmas.