Although more-populated Hamilton County has seen a recent surge in new COVID-19 cases – representing the majority of the region’s new cases overall – new coronavirus cases are increasing at a significantly faster rate in some of the region’s more rural counties when taking population size into account.
In the past week, DeKalb County, Alabama, averaged 7.12 new COVID-19 cases a day per 10,000 residents, followed by Whitfield County, Georgia, which averaged 6.3 new cases a day per 10,000 residents.
By comparison, Hamilton County averaged 2.8 new cases per 10,000 residents in the same time frame.
Other regional counties experiencing a more rapid increase in new cases include Jackson County, Alabama, at 4.61 new cases per 10,000; Gordon County, Georgia, at 3.22 new cases per 10,000 and Rhea County, Tennessee, at 2.97 per 10,000.
Officials say hospitalizations are perhaps a more important indicator of a worsening outbreak than case counts, since most people with COVID-19 don’t require hospitalization and new cases are dependent on testing.