The total number of new positives over the past two days in Polk County just broke double digits combined, according to the latest tally from the Georgia Department of Public Health reported during this afternoon’s report.

Sunday’s increase of six new cases, and today’s increase of four matches the pattern of recent months with decreases reported on Sundays and Mondays. The number of deaths remained at 15, and the number of hospitalizations remained at 79 overall as the month of August comes to a close.

August proved the most difficult month of all in terms of increases, especially with the number of new hospital patients and the people who have died due to the virus or complications caused by it.

Overall for the month, the number of total cases nearly doubled with 552 new positives for the virus reported between August 1 and today. The number of hospital patients more than doubled over the past month, going from 31 to 79, and the number of deaths more than doubled as well going from six reported by the end of July, to 15 to end this month.

As of today, 14.8% of those tested in Polk County have come up positive for the virus.

Statewide, the number of new positives for the day stood at 1,523, bringing the total to 270,471 and pushing increasingly toward the 300,000 mark. That kept Georgia at a 10.6% positive of the total number of more than 2.6 million tests administered since late February tracking began.

Currently, another 32 people around Georgia required hospitalization, which brought the total to 24,604 patients treated overall for the virus. Out of that total, 4,493 of the patients needed additional medical treatment in Intensive Care Units around the state.

Sadly, another 28 people have died from the virus, which brought the Monday total of overall COVID-19 deaths in Georgia to 5,632 people who have perished.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention put the overall total of virus cases at 5,972,356 as of August 30, with 182,865 deaths recorded so far.

Alongside an increase in cases, the Northwest Georgia Public Health District announced a change in testing sites and days available based on the resources they have available to deal with the COVID-19 testing demand as they also prepare for flu season.

Polk County residents who want a test will now have the option only on Tuesdays at the former Department of Labor location in Cedartown (262 N. Park Blvd.) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and on the fourth Saturday of the month. Otherwise, Polk County residents will have to work out whether they can travel to Paulding or Haralson counties on Mondays, Thursdays or Fridays in Paulding, and Wednesdays in Haralson.

Drive-up testing still remains in place without an appointment. Haralson’s testing site open on Wednesdays and the second Saturday of the month is located at 25 Recreation Lane, Buchannan, and in Paulding (also on the first and third Saturdays of the month) Paulding Meadows at 472 Paulding Meadows Drive, Dallas.

Dr. Gary Voccio, Northwest Georgia Public Health Director, reiterated that “You do not have to reside in a county to get tested at the site in that county.”

“Anyone may get tested at any of these test sites,” he said.

In the release from the Georgia Department of Public Health about testing sites, they also announced that “Effective September 1, COVID-19 testing will no longer be offered at the Catoosa, Chattooga, Gordon, Haralson, Paulding, Polk, or Walker county health departments.”