Washington County’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased from 33 to 34 in the Georgia Department of Public Health’s 7 p.m. report for Saturday, April 25.
As previously reported by WACO 100, Washington County saw two increases on Friday, April 24, jumping from 28 to 30 in the noon report, and then rising from 30 to 33 in the 7 p.m. report from DPH.
The Department of Public Health notes that this data represents confirmed cases reported to the Georgia Department of Public Health. A confirmed case is defined as a person who has tested positive for 2019 novel coronavirus. While patients testing positive with COVID-19 do recover, this total does not take into account the population that has since recovered from COVID-19. The report reflects the total number of COVID-19 cases the county has seen since testing began.
The most recent report at 7 p.m. on Saturday showed an overall increase in cases throughout the state, going from 22,695 in Saturday’s noon report to 23,216 confirmed cases in the state in the Department of Public Health’s midday report on Saturday.
As of 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, Georgia had 4,353 hospitalized.
The Department of Public Health notes that the significant increase in cases is in part due to additional laboratories reporting to DPH, and also improvements in electronic reporting from other laboratories. Patient information is often incomplete and DPH works to complete the records, so data will change over time.
The confirmed number of COVID-19 deaths in the state rose from 904 to 907.
As previously reported by Waco 100, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported Washington County’s first COVID-19 related death in its 7 p.m. Friday, April 17 report. According to the DPH’s report, the deceased was a 66-year-old male with underlying conditions.
The Department of Public Health began providing additional information concerning the COVID-19 cases throughout the state in their Friday, March 27 evening report; the additional data identifies the number of confirmed cases by County, as well as the number of deaths (if any) by County.
Washington County is part of the North Central Health District. The North Central Health District is a 13-county district in Central Georgia. It includes: Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington and Wilkinson.
The following is the breakdown of where those confirmed cases are located throughout the North Central Heath District and the number of deaths by County:
- Baldwin County: 180 confirmed cases and six deaths
- Bibb County: 247 confirmed cases and six deaths
- Crawford County: 14 confirmed cases and no deaths
- Hancock County: 17 confirmed cases and no deaths
- Houston County: 206 confirmed cases and 13 deaths
- Jasper County: 20 confirmed cases and no deaths
- Jones County: 26 confirmed cases and no deaths
- Monroe County: 19 confirmed cases and one death
- Peach County: 37 confirmed cases and two deaths
- Putnam County: 31 confirmed cases and three deaths
- Twiggs County: eight confirmed cases and no deaths
- Washington County: 34 confirmed cases and one death
- Wilkinson County: 30 confirmed cases and two deaths
COVID-19 is spread by an infected person’s coughs and sneezes or close contact with an infected individual. Symptoms appear within two to 14 days after exposure and can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. The best way to protect against COVID-19 is to practice germ prevention:
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water a not available, us an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are ill.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough and sneeze with a tissue, then dispose of the tissue. If a tissue is not available, use the inside of your elbow to cover yourself.
- Regularly clean and disinfect high-touch objects and surfaces