New covid cases in NW Ga. rise over the past week, most cases since mid April

♦ 108 new cases were reported in Floyd last week; 82 in Bartow.

Northwest Georgia saw the largest weekly increase in new covid cases since mid-april.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reports 287 additional cases in the region for the week ending Wednesday. The previous high since weekly reporting began in mid April: 197 through June 8.

The county-by-county increases:

♦ Floyd: 108

♦ Bartow: 82

♦ Gordon: 42

♦ Polk: 38

♦ Chattooga: 17 Statewide,14,234 additional covid cases were reported, the second most since mid April.

Georgia also reported 43 covid deaths, the fewest in four weeks. Three of those deaths came from Northwest Georgia — residents of Floyd, Polk and Chattooga counties. In Bartow County, an earlier death was reclassified as a “probable” case.

In all, 1,334 Northwest Georgians have died from covid since March 2020 as well as another 244 from causes probably attributed to the virus.

ROME HOSPITALS

Fourteen covid patients were under care at Rome’s hospitals on Tuesday, the most since mid March. Another two patients were awaiting test results as well.

That’s an increase in four virus patients since Friday’s report. The latest:

♦ Atrium Health Floyd: 7, no change. Two patients awaiting test results.

♦ Adventhealth Redmond: 7 patients, up 4.

♦ Highest since pandemic began: 221 on Sept. 10, 2021.

♦ Lowest since pandemic began: 2 on June 1, 2020, and on May 16, 2022.

COVID TESTING

The free COVID-19 test site in Floyd County is at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds, 1400 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Rome. Hours: 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

A check of the CDC’S community spread report showed all five area counties rated as a “low threat.” The data is updated weekly; the next is due at 8 p.m. Thursday.