COVID-19 update

Editor’s note: Starting Dec. 16, The Valdosta Daily Times is adding antigen cases — rapid tests — and probable deaths to its daily COVID-19 updates.

ATLANTA – Georgia added more than 4,200 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 2,612 antigen cases Wednesday, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Georgia has reported 488,338 confirmed cases and 72,281 antigen cases since the start of the pandemic. The state has started reporting antigen cases — results from rapid virus tests — as part of their daily status report.

The state recorded another 52 virus-related deaths Wednesday, rising to 9,302 deaths. According to new data on the department website, the department suspects there have also been 926 probably deaths related to the virus.

More than 38,400 people have been hospitalized across the state due to COVID-19, according to the report, and 6,936 admitted to an ICU. The state added 307 new hospitalizations Wednesday.

More than 4.8 million COVID-19 tests have been performed with a 9.5% positive rate, health officials reported.

The state has performed more than 383,000 antibody tests — which show signs of past infection — with the state reporting a 10.6% positivity rate.