GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Georgia confirmed 10,393 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, setting the highest single-day total since the pandemic began.
Friday’s total surpasses the previous record set on New Year’s Day by over 1,600 cases. The state’s total is now 620,247 with a 10.5% positive rate.
Georgia also reported 80 new deaths that brings the state total up to 10,180 confirmed deaths.
[SPECIAL SECTION: Coronavirus Pandemic in Georgia]
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The rise in cases has called for several school districts, including Fulton, Cherokee and Henry counties, to move to all-virtual next week.
The state’s new case record also comes on the same day that Gov. Brian Kemp gave an update on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the state.
He said the state has the capacity to administer 11,428 doses per day. So far in Georgia, people allowed the vaccine include first responders, health care workers and those over 65 years of age in certain parts of the state.
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Channel 2′s Carol Sbarge talked to a Gwinnett County man who is in his 40s and knows first hand how rough the virus can be.
Robert Page told Sbarge he never gets sick but a week after getting coronavirus in November he had to be rushed to the hospital. Page said he couldn’t get any air into his lungs. He says he was gasping.
Page is far from alone in Gwinnett County where the district health director says Coronavirus cases are higher than ever. The testing positivity rate has soared in the past two months.
Dr. Audrey Arona said Gwinnett’s positivity rate right now is over 20%. She said it was 6.9% on Nov. 9.
Gwinnett is not alone. For at least 10 days now the positivity rate in Georgia has averaged above 16%.
Arona said everyone needs to get out of the holiday mode and back to what they were doing in early November and do it even better.
Page spent several days on oxygen in the ICU. He’s very grateful he recovered. He says it is serious and something he’ll never forget and urges people to wear a mask.
