MACON, Ga. — Georgia started to see COVID-19 case numbers fall pretty quickly after the latest peak in August, but that has started to slow down in recent weeks.
Right before the preliminary window, Georgia averaged just shy of 1,500 new cases a day. Numbers have not been that low since mid-July. It is a big improvement from the 9,800 new cases a day in late August.
After plummeting case numbers for weeks, the trend line starts to level off as it gets closer to the preliminary window. That means cases are falling, just not as quickly as before.
Georgia continues to get closer to the low average of just 250 new cases a day reported back in June.
Bibb County actually saw a small uptick in the last two weeks. That falls within the preliminary window. The state is still counting test results from that time, so we typically see these tallies change as they move out of that window.
Bibb had a higher number of people report getting sick around Oct. 20, driving up the average. It will take a week or so to know if the uptick will continue, or become a small spike and continue trending downward.
Before the preliminary window, Bibb averaged 14 new cases a day, which is an improvement from the 195 new cases a day reported during the latest peak in August.
Houston County's case curve does not show any signs of an uptick right now. From late August until right before the preliminary window in mid-October, Houston fell from an average of 214 new cases a day down to 18.
Peach, Jones, Monroe, Twiggs, and a few other Central Georgia counties also show a small rise in cases within their preliminary windows.
A week ago, Laurens and Washington counties showed small upticks within their preliminary windows, much like in Bibb County right now. Those upticks were short-lived and cases started going back down.
Meanwhile, Georgia continues to see fewer deaths tied to the virus.. Right before the preliminary window, an average of 33 Georgians died a day. That is a big improvement from the average of 113 a month before. In mid-July though, before the latest surge, Georgia reported only five deaths a day.
Hospitals also continue seeing fewer COVID-19 patients. Right now, the average sits at 162 new patients a day. It was nearly double that in mid-September.