Georgia No Longer The Worst Among States For Virus Transmission

Some Georgians are in line for more unemployment assistance as the state has given up the dubious title of being the state where COVID-19 is spreading the fastest.

Georgia has been overtaken by Mississippi as the No. 1 state with the highest number of new cases per 100,000 people, according to a 14-day average kept by The Associated Press. The coronavirus is still spreading rapidly in the Peach State compared to other places, though, with 355 new infections per 100,000 people over the 14 days ended Sunday. More than half the states have a transmission rate that’s less than half that level.

Georgia’s transmission rate and its overall case count have been falling throughout August. The seven-day average of cases is down more than a third from its high in late July. Total confirmed infections rose above 256,000 on Monday, according to the state Department of Public Health. Deaths from the summer spike continue to be reported at a high rate, with confirmed fatalities now totaling 5,156.