COVID-19 cases surge in Rockdale County, young adults reported as highest rate of transmissions

As Rockdale County’s COVID-19 cases surge, county officials are reminding residents to be diligent in wearing facemasks, practicing social distancing, washing their hands and sanitizing surfaces during the holidays.

Dan Morgan, who heads the county’s Emergency Management Agency, said Rockdale remains in the “High” category of active COVID-19 cases, with 18-to 22-year-olds presenting the highest rate of transmissions.

Morgan said that roughly 30 percent of Georgia’s confirmed COVID-19 cases are young people 18 to 22 years old, a subset of those 18-29 years old, according to information released on Tuesday, Dec. 22, by Georgia’s Department of Public Health.

“They (young adults) are by far the largest group of confirmed cases. That group exploded in Georgia after the Thanksgiving holidays with many of them returning home from college,” Morgan told On Common Ground News today (Dec. 24). “Our numbers overall are definitely increasing.It’s not letting up.”

There have been 692 new cases in Rockdale in the past 21 days, up from 593 cases a week ago, Morgan stated.

“Over the past 14 days, we are averaging 34.9 new cases per day.  This is up from 33.5 new cases per day just last week,” said Morgan.

In his weekly report to the county, Morgan said the 24-day case rate for Rockdale is 513 cases per 100,000, placing the county in the “High” category. Rockdale has a population of about 94,000.

Morgan said that Rockdale has had a cumulative total of 3,298 reported COVID-19 cases since Georgia officials declared a public health emergency in March. To date, 68 people in Rockdale have died from COVID-19, according to reports.

Georgia has had a total of 600,517 COVID-19 cases and 9,503 deaths as of Dec. 22, Morgan stated in his weekly update this week.

A snapshot of some of the stats Morgan provided:

Georgia

Cases:     Average age – 39       7.7% were hospitalized

Deaths:   Average age – 75     68% were hospitalized

Rockdale

Cases:     Average age – 42     13.9% were hospitalized

Deaths:   Average age – 71      69% were hospitalized

COViD-19 testing in Rockdale is available at the Rockdale Health Department , 985 Taylor St., Conyers.

Testing in Newton County is available at the Newton Health Department, 8203 Hazelbrand Road NE, Covington.

To make an appointment, go online: https://www.gnrhealth.com/covid-19-info/  and select the date, time and location for a test.