Cook County EMA: COVID numbers increasing again

Cook County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) Director Johnny West advised the County Commissioners on Monday, July 18, 2022, that the numbers of local people who are COVID-positive are increasing significantly.

The Georgia Department of Public Health reported that Cook County has had 1,367 positive COVID cases year to date, West said. There have been 225 positive cases since April 1.

The surge of a new COVID variant has caused the Georgia Department of Public Health to return from reporting the COVID stats monthly to weekly. West said that between June 2 and July 6, there were 145 new COVID cases for Cook County (in comparison, Berrien County had 103 new cases); and 44 new local cases between July 6 and July 13.

West said those numbers do not include all the home test kit results. But he added that the COVID cases seem to be rising everywhere, not in Cook County alone.

In response to the COVID resurgence, Southwell Medical has returned to requiring masks while in the facilities and patient room restrictions.

As of July 13, Cook County had reported a total of 57 confirmed COVID-related deaths and 18 probable COVID-related deaths. That was an increase of nine since Jan. 1, West said. The County reported a total of 146 hospitalizations.

According to the Ga. Department of Public Health, as of July 13, the percentage of Georgians who have received at least one dose of vaccine is 65 percent; the percentage of Georgians who are fully vaccinated is 57 percent; those fully vaccinated with an additional dose, 43 percent; and those with an additional dose, 24 percent.

For Cook County, at least one dose, 47 percent; fully vaccinated, 43 percent; those fully vaccinated with an additional dose, 38 percent; and those with an additional dose, 16 percent.