Northeast Health District Adds 162 New COVID-19 Cases But No Deaths; Critical Care Bed Availability Rebounds

***Oconee Death Reported Thursday Rescinded***

The Northeast Health District added 162 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Saturday, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases held steady at 133.9

The Department of Public Health reported no new deaths in the 10-county Northeast Health District, and the seven day rolling average of added deaths dropped to 0.9.

Seven-Day Rolling Averages Of Added COVID-19 Cases Reach Record Levels; Area Hospitals Reported All Critical Care Beds In Use

***Area Leaders Say Hospitals In “Stable Position”***

The seven-day rolling averages of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases both regionally and for the state as a whole reached record levels with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Friday.

The seven-day rolling average of added deaths also reached a record level for the state, and, with the addition of a death in Barrow County, the seven-day rolling average in the 10-county Northeast Health District also increased, though not to a record level.

Northeast Health District Sets New Record For Added Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

***Daily Status Report Lists 200 New Cases***

The Northeast Health District added a record number 200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with the Thursday release of the Department of Public Health’s Daily Status Report.

Each of the 10 counties in the District added cases. Oconee County added eight cases and Clarke County added 50.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases increased to 129.1, tied with the record average set on July 19.

Mayor Bob Smith Demonstrates His Control Of Council Meetings If Not Of Council Votes

***Uses Power Of Gavel***

The Watkinsville mayor only gets to vote in a rare case when the five-member Council, because of an absence or recusal, would evenly split its votes.

What current Mayor Bob Smith can do is guarantee that he gets to talk at the meetings. He holds the gavel and runs those meeting.

Smith has been using that power more assertively of late, and he used it aggressively at the session of the Mayor and Council last week.

Growth In Number Of Confirmed COVID-19 Cases Eased On Wednesday In Region And Across The State; Deaths Increasing

***Northeast Health District Added Two Deaths***

At the regional and state level, growth in the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases eased slightly on Wednesday, but the number of new deaths attributed to the disease increased.

The 10-county Northeast Health District, which includes Oconee and Clarke counties, added 111 new cases in the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Wednesday, and the seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped from 124.3 on Tuesday to 121.1 on Wednesday.

Four New COVID-19 Deaths In Northeast Health District Listed In Tuesday Daily Status Report Along With 126 New Confirmed Cases

***Oconee County Now Has 15 Deaths Attributed To COVID-19***

Oconee County added another death from COVID-19 with the release of the Department of Public Health Daily Status Report on Tuesday.

The Oconee death, of a 75-year-old female without a chronic condition, brings to 15 the number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the county.

Northeast Health District Lists Smallest Number Of New COVID-19 Cases In Eight Days

***Oconee Schools Commit To Aug. 5 Reopening***

The Northeast Health District added 67 new COVID-19 cases with the release of the Daily Status Report on Monday, the smallest number since the 10-county District added 50 cases on July 12.

The seven-day rolling average of added cases dropped to 120.7 from 129.1 on Sunday.