| Augusta Chronicle
In a sign of hope, Georgia and South Carolina registered the lowest levels of new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, since the days after Thanksgiving, when the last increase began. New admissions emerged at Augusta hospitals, however, after the numbers plummeted last week.
Georgia added 2,488 new cases, its smallest addition since November 29, to reach 775,466 with 35 new deaths for 13,361, the Department of Public Health reported. Richmond County saw 132 new cases for 17,608 and Columbia County had 53 more to break 10,000 with 10,011. All other counties had seven or fewer new cases: one in Burke for 1,585, five in McDuffie for 1,506, seven in Jefferson for 1,485, one in Screven for 737, two in Jenkins for 690, one in Wilkes for 618 and four in Glascock to 137. Unchanged were Warren County in 350 and Taliaferro County in 93.
Columbia County suffered a new death to 128, increasing the area’s casualty to 814.
Georgia Public Health obtained the results of 25,407 new tests, of which 9.79% were positive, just below the overall positive rate of 10.86%, which remained unchanged, according to an analysis by The Augusta Chronicle. The seven-day average of new cases fell for the 14th consecutive day, from 3,657 to 3,288.29, according to the analysis.
Georgia administered 1,158,884 injections of the 1,553,450 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine it had received by Sunday, or 74.6%, according to the Chronicle’s public health data analysis.
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AU Health System has seen a small increase of one since Friday with 57 patients in the hospital and added 219 new positive tests over the weekend to reach 24,204 since its first reports in March, said spokeswoman Christen Engel.
After dropping to 73 on Friday, University Hospital rose to 88 on Monday after discharging 21, but admitted 36 more, said spokeswoman Rebecca Sylvester.
“Of course, we have not yet overcome the crisis,” she said, so continue to practice preventive measures, such as wearing a mask, distancing yourself socially and getting vaccinated when offered. The university has admitted 2,112 since the pandemic began, said Sylvester.
Doctors Hospital of Augusta also increased slightly to 39, three more than on Sunday, and had three new cases to 706 in total, said spokesman Kaden Jacobs.
Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta saw 19 new cases over the weekend for a total of 1,561, with 104 active cases among 100 veterans and four employees, and two new deaths in 74 so far, according to the Department of Health Affairs. US veterans.
South Carolina added 1,577 new cases, the lowest addition since November 30, to reach 414,573 with 32 new deaths to 6,881, the Department of Health and Environmental Control said. Aiken County saw 44 new cases for 11,278 and Edgefield County had seven more for 2,171. None of the counties had a new death so they remained at 157 and 24 respectively.
The state obtained the result of 36,224 exams, of which 4.35% were positive, about half of the general rate of 7.85%, which fell slightly, Chronicle analysis found. The seven-day average also decreased slightly from 2,015 to 2,014, the analysis concluded.