The Georgia Department of Public Health on Saturday reported 96 additional coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total number in the state to 4,669. There was one additional death reported in Brantley, Camden, Glynn and Ware counties.
The 7-day average of deaths reached an all-time high of 73 per day on Thursday before beginning to come down.
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The state added 3,273 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the statewide total to 235,168 cases.
In the six Southeast Georgia counties tracked by News4Jax, 65 new cases were reported Saturday: 27 in Glynn County, 15 Camden County, nine in Ware County, five in Pierce County, two in Brantley County and no additional cases in Charlton county.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Georgia has fallen 7% in the past two weeks, according to figures kept by The Associated Press. The nationwide new confirmed case average has fallen 20% in that time, although there have been questions about decreased testing.
Georgia’s rate of positive teats has also fallen during the past two weeks, averaging 10.7% on Friday.
Saying conditions were removing but more needs to be done, Gov. Brian Kemp issued renewed COVID-19 restrictions for the state.
“While encouraged by the data, we cannot grow complacent,” Kemp wrote in a release. “This Executive Order extends the shelter in place order for the medically fragile, continues the ban on large gatherings and maintains health and safety protocols for Georgia businesses.”
Some people took exception to Kemp’s latest order that included language preventing cities from ordering masks to be work in businesses, something he called “government overreach.”
Georgia’s seven-day average of newly reported cases has been above 3,000 since July 11, a level that has filtered through to high numbers of hospitalizations and deaths. Hospitalizations have been falling for about two weeks, but deaths from the summer spike are still being reported.
Among those deaths are longtime Augusta Utilities Director Tom Wiedmeier, who died Wednesday after contracting COVID-19 in July.
The DeKalb County school district announced Friday that it was delaying athletics, marching bands and cheerleading until the end of September, although the groups will continue to train. Fulton County announced Thursday it was delaying athletic competition until Sept. 14. At least four other school districts have postponed or canceled some athletics. High school football teams elsewhere in the state are supposed to start playing on Sept. 4.
The Savannah-Chatham County school district said Friday that a football player at Beach High in Savannah tested positive for COVID-19 and the whole team and coaches are in quarantine.