COVID-19 update

ATLANTA – Georgia’s COVID-19 cases rose by 5,496 overnight, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health report released Wednesday.

Georgia has reported 558,177 confirmed cases and 96,566 antigen cases — an increase of 3,737 antigen cases since Tuesday — since the start of the pandemic.

The state reports antigen cases — results from rapid virus tests — as part of its daily status report.

The state has recorded 49 virus-related deaths since Tuesday, bringing the toll Wednesday to 9,808 deaths statewide. The GDPH suspects there have also been 1,038 probable deaths related to the virus.

More than 5.3 million COVID-19 tests have been performed with a 10% positive rate, health officials reported.

The state has performed more than 400,000 antibody tests — which show signs of past infection — with the state reporting an 11.3% positivity rate.

So far, more than 52,000 Georgians have been vaccinated against the virus.