New cases of COVID-19 were added to Polk County’s tally at midweek as the evening update put the figure at 86, with 12 hospitalizations and no deaths reported according to figures released from the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Governor Brian Kemp and other state officials are set to provide an update at a Thursday press conference set for 4:30 p.m. as the statewide total of positive cases continues to grow, and was at 39,801 as of the evening update on May 20.

Kemp is expected to provide additional news on testing results during the press conference, scheduled to be held at the State Capitol.

That figure was out of 402,940 tests conducted statewide. Georgia still had 7,171 hospitalizations due to the virus, and out of that total, there were 1,630 ICU admissions required as well.

Sadly, the death toll from COVID-19 in the state sat at 1,697 by day’s end.

Georgia’s death toll accounted for only a small percentage of the nationwide tally. Across the United States, COVID-19 has now accounted for 91,664 deaths out of the 1,528,235 positives that have been reported since widespread testing and tracking began in late February.

As cases continue to increase, the New York Times did report today that scientists are beginning to show some optimism about the development of a vaccine. Though, the reporting called it “cautious optimism” about the potential for a way to protect people from the virus.

That will be needed as the case figures locally and around the area continue to grow.

Here’s how the numbers looked around Polk County at midweek:

• Bartow County finished the day with 419 cases of COVID-19, a 24 hour increase of nine new positives on the day. There were no new deaths or hospitalizations reported, those numbers remaining respectively at 35 and 132.
• Eastward in Paulding County, the number increased by 14 cases to land at 261 positives for the virus, which have required 59 hospitalizations (an increase of just one) and been the cause of 10 deaths.
• Floyd County to the north saw 13 new cases added as they landed at 208 COVID-19 cases at midweek, with still 43 hospitalizations and 13 deaths from the virus.
• Haralson County saw no movement at all, remaining at 35 cases at midweek and nine hospitalizations and two deaths from COVID-19.