MACON, Ga. — Georgia continues to see a pretty steady drop in the COVID-19 case curve starting in mid-July.
There is a slight uptick right before the start of the preliminary data window, but overall, the data still trends downward with an average of about 1,300 new cases a day before the window. That's less than a third of the average reported at the peak in mid-July.
Georgia still averages about 1.7 times the average at the initial peak in April and three times the average number of new cases compared to when the state banned large gatherings in March.
Georgia's shelter in place order went into effect at the beginning of April when the state averaged 550 cases a day, which is less than half of the current average.
So while the latest data shows some positive signs over the last two months, there is still room for improvement.
While Georgia sees a continued downward trend in cases, CBS News reports increases in at least 29 states, including the country's original epicenter in New York.
There are some different trends in a few central Georgia counties.
Both Bibb and Laurens counties saw small increases before the start of the preliminary data window, similar to the uptick in the state's curve. Both counties are still averaging much higher numbers than in the spring. Comparing the average right before the preliminary data to the start of the shelter in place order, Bibb is averaging seven times as many cases while Laurens County is averaging almost nine times as many.
Houston and Baldwin counties did not see any notable changes in their case curves. Houston County is still averaging more than double the number of cases compared to the start of April. Baldwin is nearly four times its average from that time.
New hospitalizations related to COVID-19 in Georgia started dropping again after a brief jump earlier this month. Georgia is averaging about 114 new hospitalizations a day compared to 80 at the beginning of the shelter in place order.
COVID-19-related deaths continue a downward trend dating back to mid-August, but deaths tend to lag behind other data.