3 more Floyd County deaths attributed to COVID-19
♦ Indicators show that coronavirus spread continues to grow locally.
The state reported on Wednesday that three more Floyd County residents succumbed to a COVID-19 infection.
That brings to 44 the total number of locals who have died from the disease caused by the new coronavirus. Twelve residents have died from COVID-19 in September alone.
The percentage of positive tests from the county also continues to grow. As of Wednesday, Rome and Floyd County had a 13.9% positivity rate. Health officials often use this rate — determined by the number of tests that come back positive — to determine the potential of increased spread in an area.
A higher percentage of positive tests could mean that the number of total tests is too low, or could suggest higher transmission rates and more people in the community carrying the coronavirus who have not been tested yet.
Dr. Gary Voccio, health director for the 10-county Northwest Health District, has said he would ideally like to see that figure at 5% or lower. Figures above 10% are considered a significant community spread.
With the two week number of confirmed COVID-19 infections at 468, the spread in Floyd County has more than quadrupled. The health department considers high transmission to be 100 cases per two week period for a population of 100,000. Floyd County’s population is listed at 99,916.
The number of COVID-19 patients in local hospitals also is beginning to tick back upward after a period of decline.
On Wednesday, Floyd Medical Center reported 24 COVID-19 positive patients and Redmond Regional Medical Center reported 28 patients infected with the disease.
At this point it’s hard to tell if this area, along with the rest of the state, will see a surge in cases — and the resulting hospitalizations and deaths — after the Labor Day weekend.
Public health officials earlier stated their concern of a possible spike in cases, similar to ones after the Memorial Day and Fourth of July holiday weekends in Georgia.
Rome and Floyd County school systems continue to have hundreds of students in quarantine.
As of the report published Wednesday, Rome City Schools had 159 students and 22 staff members in quarantine. Positive cases were recently reported at East Central and Rome Middle School.
Floyd County Schools reported Wednesday there is a total of 413 students and staff members quarantined after possible exposure to the virus, the bulk of which come from the system’s four high schools. The county school system combines student and staff data.
The day prior, a total of 12 positive COVID-19 cases were reported at Armuchee High, Cave Spring Elementary, Coosa High, Coosa Middle, Garden Lakes Elementary, Model High and Model Middle.