COVID-19 numbers in Coffee County on the rise

Coffee County EMA Director James Brown addressed the county’s rising COVID-19 numbers at the Oct. 26 Coffee County Commission meeting.

Over the past three weeks Coffee County’s COVID-19 numbers have increased to 18 new cases per day, which is just one shy away from the county’s record of 19 per day which was reached in July.

“The COVID-19 numbers over the last three weeks have steadily risen,” Brown said. We’re really close to our all-time high. We went from seven per day back at the beginning of September to nine per day in mid-September to 13 per day at the beginning of October and now we’re up to 18 per day. I think probably a lot of that is people not paying as much attention to the (health) recommendations.”

The state has seen its positivity rate increase to 8.6 percent but more alarming is that Coffee County’s positivity rate has risen to 10.2 percent.

“I feel like a broken record but we encourage everyone to adhere to the health department suggestions,” Brown said. “Wash your hands, wear your masks and social distance, especially those with health conditions. People with health conditions are almost 1,000 times more likely to die from this (virus).”