New COVID-19 cases for Clarke County remained relatively low this week. However, the data showed a slight increase in the seven-day running average from an average of 8.6 daily new cases on Oct. 28 to 12.7 on Nov. 5. There were 89 new confirmed cases and 10 new positive antigen cases in the past week, for a total of 17,455 confirmed cases and 2,674 antigen cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
Two more Clarke County residents died of COVID-19 this week after the virus killed five last week. To date, 173 Clarke County residents have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began. Six Clarke County residents were hospitalized with COVID-19 last week, for a cumulative total of 779.
COVID-19 hospitalizations for the region decreased this week, with just 39 patients, or 6.2% of all patients, currently hospitalized for COVID-19, according to the Georgia Medical Facility Patient Census. More ICU beds are available in the region, with 63 beds, or 90%, currently in use.
The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11 earlier this week. Doses have already shipped and should be available at local pharmacies and doctor’s offices soon, if not now. Public health experts recommend reaching out to your child’s pediatrician with any questions or concerns about the vaccine for children. Further information about the safety of the vaccine is available at the CDC website, cdc.gov.
Athens made progress with vaccinations this week, compared to last week’s abysmal rates. An additional 946 COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered to Clarke County residents, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. As of Nov. 4, 62,237 residents, or 49% of the population, had received at least one dose, and 57,619 residents, or 46%, had been fully vaccinated.
At UGA, 581 vaccine doses were administered last week. That’s up from 406 doses the previous week. Positive cases reported to the university also decreased from 27 last week to 21 this week. However, surveillance testing numbers continued to decline. Just 575 surveillance tests were administered last week.
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