COVID-19 case count here remains elevated

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  • White County ended 2020 with 685 confirmed COVID-19 cases in December, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Jan. 5 status report.
    White County ended 2020 with 685 confirmed COVID-19 cases in December, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Jan. 5 status report.
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White County ended 2020 with 685 confirmed COVID-19 cases in December, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Jan. 5 status report.

The previous monthly high had been 363 cases in September. There were 2,025 total confirmed coronavirus cases reported in White County during 2020.

This month, the county has had 56 confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Jan. 5.

The seven-day moving average was at 30.4 daily cases on Dec. 24. The average dipped to 18.7 on Dec. 31 before starting to rising to 26.7 on Jan. 5.

A DPH report also labeled 154 of Georgia’s 159 counties as having high-transmission indicators, including White County, based on data from Dec. 19 through Jan. 1. During that same 14-day window, almost 28% of PCR testing done on White County returned COVID-19 positives.

As spread of the coronavirus has reached greater levels across the nation and state, public health and safety officials have reiterated the importance of taking precautions, especially as more people gather during the holidays. That includes social distancing of 6 feet of more, wearing a face mask when distancing isn’t possible and regular, thorough washing of hands.

As of Jan. 5, DPH reported that there had been 34 deaths attributed to the coronavirus in White County. Ages of the deceased listed include men ages 26, 36, 60, 65, 68, 73, 74, 75, 78, 79, 81, 82, 83, 83, 84, 85, 88, and over 90, and women ages 43, 54, 56, 61, 71, 76, 77, 82, 86, 87, 88 and five over 90.