Spike seen in new single-day COVID-19 cases, tests
ATLANTA - Tuesday saw the biggest jump in new coronavirus cases in Georgia since August, but it also saw the most tests added in a single day since the start of the pandemic.
As of 3 p.m. Tuesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported 391,466 positive tests since March, a single-day increase of 3,536 new confirmed COVID-19 cases. The last time that many cases were recorded in a single day was back on Aug. 12. At that time, the positivity rate was at 11.80%, but Tuesday's rate was at 9.90%.
The spike in new cases is likely due to the record-breaking number of new tests added to the state's data set. The GDPH reported 53,714 more test results were added on Tuesday with the total number inching towards 4 million.
Deaths from COVID-19 in the state remain relatively low, about a quarter of what it was in August. As of Tuesday, the GDPH reported 8,496 from the virus, however, the two-week average has shown a slight uptick in the death rate from the start of the month.
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Hospitalizations have also been on a steady incline with the two-week average being about 100 patients higher than the start of the month, according to GDPH data.
The Georgia Department of Public Health said Monday’s release was lower due to a server issue that prevented all ELRs, possibly as many as half, from processing. That might be the reason Tuesday’s release was record-breaking.
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