Georgia's COVID-19 total spikes by nearly 1,000 in a few hours

Friday, May 1, 2020

Georgia’s reported COVID-19 cases jumped by nearly 1,000 in a few hours, according to figures released by the state.

The state reported 26,276 verified cases as of 11 p.m. Thursday, but was reporting 27,187 by Friday afternoon.

The increase doesn’t necessarily mean 911 people came down with the virus during the intervening hours.

The increase could be due to increased testing, since the state

including one day in which 20,000 tests were performed.

Officials also have said there is a lag between when cases are reported at the local level and when the state reports them.

In a similar development, South Carolina analyzed data and learned that more people had died from COVID-19 than earlier thought, leading to a one-day jump this week in reported deaths.

Georgia's jump in cases comes even as the state relaxes forced closures of businesses that were meant to curb the spread of COVID-19.