Special Report

This Is the County in the Columbus, GA-AL Metro Area with the Most Deaths from COVID-19

Samuel Stebbins

Published: October 22, 2021 4:30 am

Following a months long surge driven by the delta variant, new daily cases of COVID-19 are falling once again in the United States. Still, the virus continues to claim lives. So far, 719,694 Americans have died from the virus — more than the total number of Americans killed in World War I and World War II combined.

In the Columbus metropolitan area, which covers parts of Georgia and Alabama, a total of 800 deaths have been attributed to the virus, equal to 260 fatalities for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, 220 deaths have been attributed to the virus per 100,000 people.

The higher than average per capita COVID-19 death rate across the metro area is being driven by one area in particular.

The broader Columbus metro area comprises five counties or county equivalents — and of them, Marion County has had the most COVID-19 fatalities per capita. So far, the per capita coronavirus death rate in Marion County stands at 424 for every 100,000 people.

With the highest per capita death rate in the Columbus metro area, Marion County ranks among the top 10% of all U.S. counties or county equivalents by COVID-19 death rate per capita.

All COVID-19 data used in this story are current as of Oct. 20, 2021.

These are all the counties in Georgia where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).