ATLANTA — The state of Georgia reported over 2,200 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, a new record since the start of the pandemic, and a high-water mark that comes only a day after the state set its previous high.
The state Department of Public Health reported 2,225 new cases and two more deaths from the disease. Georgia has reported more than 1,700 cases in each of the past five days. Saturday set a previous record at nearly 2,000 cases.
11,000 more cases have been confirmed from June 21 to Saturday, a new one-week record. That’s up 60% compared to the week of June 14. The 7-day average has nearly tripled since late May.
Georgia was one of seven states that recorded record high numbers of cases Sunday.
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Demand for coronavirus testing has also increased in recent days as cases in the metro area continue to climb, local health departments said.
Gov. Brian Kemp’s shelter-in-place order ended for most people on April 30.
As of Sunday, Georgia has reported 77,210 cases. 2,778 people have died.
Last week, officials at Grady Memorial Hospital told Channel 2 Action News that they are seeing more cases among people in their 20s and 30s.
“It’s a little bit of a disturbing trend, and what frightens me is not only that they are younger, the potential of them infecting other people, particularly parents and grandparents,” Chief Medical Officer Dr. Robert Jansen said.
Jansen said so far, the new cases don’t appear to be connected to recent protests. Instead, he said the spike seemed to coincide with more businesses open up in Georgia.
"There's people going to restaurants and bars and not wearing masks at all, and that's a big risk factor," Jansen said. "Once we said people can go out, it's human nature to go out, and I understand that wearing a mask is not always easy."
Jansen said the growing number of cases among young people is a reminder to wear masks and practice social distancing. He said he is encouraged that the numbers of seriously ill, mostly older patients with coronavirus has dropped at Grady.
J. Scott Turbey with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this report.
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