The Trump administration says Georgia is back in the “red zone” for new COVID-19 cases.
The pandemic’s growing momentum in the state led the White House Coronavirus Task Force to put it back in its highest-threat category in its latest report dated Nov. 8.
Just six weeks earlier, the White House removed Georgia from the “red zone.”
“Data suggests there is increasing community spread, especially silent asymptomatic spread that will result in further increases in cases and hospitalizations,” the report reads.
The Georgia Department of Public Health says the number of new COVID-19 cases is increasing over roughly the same time period.
It also says coronavirus-related hospitalizations have risen nearly 8% in the week leading up to Nov. 9.
“I certainly am concerned that our numbers in Georgia are increasing as they are in much of the country,” said Dr. Henry Wu from the Emory University School of Medicine. “Looking ahead, I really do just see more factors that can increase this trend.”
Wu said colder temperatures that push people indoors and the coming Thanksgiving holiday could lead to a potential increase in cases.
“This pandemic has been really tough to predict, but I would say that a lot of factors are lining up for a spike,” Wu said.
Summer holidays, such as Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, preceded surges in coronavirus infections that stressed hospitals in Georgia and other parts of the U.S.
But the pandemic was in a different place then — case counts were generally lower across most of the country.
As Thanksgiving approaches, the U.S. is regularly breaking records for new COVID-19 diagnoses while many states see infections surge.
“Now you have a holiday where it’s colder, people are more likely to be inside celebrating with family, likely to have more travel as well as case counts are much higher,” said Cria Perrine, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “This has got the potential to be sort of the perfect storm.”
The CDC released updated guidance this week on how to safely celebrate Thanksgiving in the midst of the pandemic.
Among the agency’s: recommendations: skip the potluck, try to host events outside and keep them small, avoid travel, and be mindful of the community levels of COVID-19 where the gathering is held.
The White House says two-thirds of all Georgia counties have moderate or high levels of community transmission and recommends the state expand mitigation efforts, such as “eliminating all social gatherings beyond the immediate household.”
It continues to point to small gatherings among friends and family members where people relax mitigation efforts as driving “unrelenting and significant community spread.”
“We need to protect those we are thankful for in our families and communities,” the report reads.
