The 14-day rate of new COVID-19 diagnoses for periods ending March 2 declined in Atlanta and Sandy Springs, according to a March 9 report from the Fulton County Board of Health.

The 14-day rate also declined in all of the main local ZIP codes.

A chart of COVID-19 diagnoses by city in Fulton County as shown in a March 9 Board of Health report.

The report’s format focuses on comparing new diagnoses in a recent 14-day period with the preceding 14 days. 

Atlanta remained the number one city in the county for new COVID-19 diagnoses in the previous 14 days, with 947, a 26% decrease. Sandy Springs remained in third place with 198 new diagnoses, a 25.3% decrease.

To view the full report, see the county website here.

The report does not state whether the numbers reflect the coronavirus’s spread, the state of testing, or both.

The statistics, which are based on patients’ home addresses, are not completely accurate due to such factors as a large number of patients whose cities or ZIP codes are unknown. Of those diagnosed in the most recent 14-day period, their ZIP code was unknown in 28 cases and their home city was unknown in 49 cases. All numbers are preliminary and may be adjusted later, including through “data cleaning” — the reassignment of some cases to a different ZIP code or city after further analysis.

The total number of confirmed COVID-19 diagnoses in the county as of March 2 was 75,533. The countywide confirmed death total from the pandemic was 1,092. A total of 121 fatalities were being reviewed by the Georgia Department of Public Health to confirm the cause of death.

The number of new diagnosed cases and the 14-day trend in the main ZIP codes in Buckhead and Sandy Springs in the March 9 report was as follows. 

Buckhead ZIP codes

30305: 51, down 31.1%

30326: 14, down 33.3%

Sandy Springs ZIP codes

30328: 62, down 41%

30350: 73, down 3.9%

Buckhead and Sandy Springs combined ZIP codes

30327: 46, down 34.3%

30342: 86, down 7.5%

John Ruch is an Atlanta-based journalist. Previously, he was Managing Editor of Reporter Newspapers.