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White County’s rate of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise in November, according to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
White County’s rate of new COVID-19 cases continues to rise in November, according to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The county’s seven-day moving average was at its lowest point in months Oct. 27 at 1.3 new confirmed cases per day, but that has risen most days since then to reach a seven-day average of 7.6 as of the Nov. 17 DPH update. That’s the highest the average has been since 6.9 on Oct. 11 when the county was trending downward from its highest seven-day average of 20.3 on Sept. 21.
The 105 confirmed cases reported to DPH over the first 17 days of November are more than double the 51 cases reported in the final 17 days of October.
DPH listed 66 new cases reported for the county from Nov. 10-17. Weekly case counts over the past month were 38 from Nov. 2-9, 25 from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1, 12 from Oct. 18-25 and 24 from Oct. 10-17.
There have been 1,125 total confirmed cases reported in White County during the pandemic as of Nov. 17. With 105 cases reported so far in November as of Tuesday, case counts for previous months include 117 in October, 363 in September, 217 in August and 144 in July.
Of the 1,102 confirmed cases listed in the Nov. 15 DPH status report, White County Emergency Management Agency considered 752 recovered. The agency’s weekly update considers a case to be a recovery 21 days after the case report is provided to the county.
As of Nov. 17, DPH reported that there had been 26 deaths attributed to the coronavirus in White County.
DPH said the seven-day average of new cases reported statewide increased 22.7% from Nov.9-16. The rise in COVID-19 cases comes at as many health officials are urging steps to prevent spread of the coronavirus especially with Thanksgiving gatherings on the horizon.
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday he is extending coronavirus-driven social distancing and sanitization restrictions for businesses, gatherings and long-term elderly care facilities in Georgia through the end of the month.
“As COVID-19 case numbers and hospitalizations rise across the country, [Georgia Commissioner of Public Health] Dr. [Kathleen] Toomey and I are asking Georgians to remain vigilant in our fight against COVID-19,” the governor said.
“Continue to wash your hands, wear a mask, watch your distance, follow public health guidance, and get a flu shot. By taking these simple steps, we will protect lives – and livelihoods.”
Dave Williams of Capitol Beat News Service contributed to this report.