September 27, 2020 - Be Prepared
Be Prepared
September 27, 2020
After three days of higher daily cases, Sunday offered a bit of a respite. There were 730 cases (incl. 60 probables), lowering the 7-day average to 1,051. There were only 5,347 tests, lowering the 7-day average to 8,175. Our weekly positivity rate drifted down to 12.33%, which is lower than 9 other states, all located in the West or Midwest, except for Mississippi.
Today, 96 hospitals reported 741 current confirmed inpatients statewide. Sunday hospital reporting can be spotty, so I decided to compare today’s totals to the previous three Sundays. Last Sunday (9/20), there were 780 inpatients in 98 reporting hospitals. The prior Sunday (9/13), there were 800 inpatients in 98 hospitals. On the first Sunday of the month (9/6), there were 842 inpatients in 99 hospitals. Bottom line: there are 101 fewer patients (with 3 fewer reporting hospitals) than there were 3 weeks ago - a decline of 11.9%.
Nationally, new daily reported cases rose 10% over the prior week; new daily deaths fell 35.8% compared to the prior week; COVID-related hospitalizations rose 0.1%; and tests rose 13.7%. The national weekly positivity rate is 5.4%. As I stated yesterday, the Midwest and Upper Midwest are the current hotspots. However, just like last spring, when the mid-Atlantic states were under siege, only to turn its sights on the South, this virus knows no geographic limitations. As the weather turns cooler and shadows lengthen, we better be prepared. The 14-day totals:
9/14 - 704
9/15 - 701
9/16 - 927
9/17 - 670
9/18 - 1,106
9/19 - 1,301
9/20 - 798
9/21 - 818
9/22 - 804
9/23 - 569
9/24 - 1,053
9/25 - 2,452
9/26 - 933
9/27 - 730
No county exceeded 100 cases and 43 of our 67 cases saw their 14-day positivity rates decline.