A big jump in the number of new deaths for COVID-19 saw the first fatalities attributed to the virus for the month of October in Polk County, though the number of new positives rose only slightly by comparison.

Three new deaths were reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health, and included a 76-year-old man whose comorbidity factors were unknown, and two women who were both 68 years old. One had comorbidity factors involved, the other was also unknown.

These deaths marked the first since September 30, when an 80-year-old man was reported to have died with unknown comorbidity factors from COVID-19. The two new deaths that the DPH couldn’t provide that information on added to the total now of five out of the 21 people that have died. Only one death – the first in May – did not have factors that would have also contributed to his death.

Along with two new cases on the day bringing the total to 1,521 since early March, the county also added another three hospital patients admitted between the numbers released on Tuesday and Wednesday. That brought the overall total for the number of people treated for the virus in medical centers and were listed as from Polk County to 111.

The DPH data did put the total percentage of positives at a flat 13%, a tenth of a percentage point decrease and the third decrease in recent days of that number. Using this data in a formula, Polk County has added 105 new test results in the past 24 hours, a big jump from the 15 added the previous day.

Statewide, cases remained at a 10% positive rate but increased in new positives on the day. A jump of 1,554 cases added to the DPH tally brought the overall figure since tracking began to 326,142. That is out of more than 3.3 million test results that have been submitted to the state from molecular and antibody sources.

The three new hospitalizations locally on the day were included among the 154 reported from medical centers across Georgia on the day, bringing that total to 29,308 patients treated for the virus’s symptoms. COVID-19 has also required that some 5,439 people need intensive care treatment since tracking began.

Locally, the three deaths also attributed to the 32 that were reported across Georgia on the day, bringing the overall number of people who have perished due to the virus or symptoms worsening other conditions to 7,259 people.

Nationwide, that number now sits at 210,232 people who have died from COVID-19 or symptoms worsening other problems, an increase of a new 672 people confirmed from Monday to Tuesday by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for U.S. deaths.

The Atlanta-based agency also reported that some 7,475,262 have contracted the virus since tracking began, an increase on the day confirmed as of October 6 of 38,984 new cases.