The number of coronavirus cases in Georgia has surpassed 27,000 with nearly 1,000 new cases reported in the past 24 hours, according to the state’s department of health.

CNN reports:” As of noon on Friday, Georgia Department of Health reported 27,134 cases, up from 26,175 recorded cases on Thursday.

“The majority of the state’s cases are in the metro Atlanta area.

“At least 1,147 Georgia residents have died as a result of COVID-19.”

In New York: “Hospitalization numbers across New York state are dropping, and that ‘is a credit to the community, and the social conscience, and the responsibility of New Yorkers’, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a news conference Friday.Because there are still about 1,000 new coronavirus hospitalizations per day, “which is still a very high infection rate” and a burden on the hospital system, he said the state wants more targeted information on these new patients.

“Let’s drill down on those 1,000 new cases. Where are they coming from, why is the infection rate continuing, who’s getting infected, and let’s get more targeted in our response,” Cuomo said.

The governor said he will be speaking with hospitals this afternoon to ask them to provide more specific information on new COVID-19 cases.

Information requested will include where the patients live and work, how they commute, their age, sex and health status.

Most of the new cases are coming from downstate New York — 17.5 percent are from Manhattan, Cuomo said.

Washington, DC, has continued to see an overall rise in coronavirus cases over the last seven weeks.

As of Thursday, DC tested 21,135 people, with 4,658 total positives. There have been a total of 231 deaths. The number of positive cases took a drastic jump to 335 cases Friday — the biggest rise in a single day.

Friday’s rise in cases coincides with the first day DC has received more than 1,000 test results in a single day.

When broken down by race, 48% of positive Covid-19 cases are African American.

DC’s stay-at-home order is set to expire on May 15.

Assessing the resonse on Thursday, CNN reports WHO reconvened the committee of independent international experts to assess the state of the coronavirus pandemic and review WHO’s recommendations on how to respond.

Officials said the committee would meet again in 90 days, or sooner, if needed.

  • Top Feature Photo: Walmart pharmacists help operate a new mobile COVID-19 drive-through testing site at Diamond Lakes Regional Park on April 23, in Hephzibah, Georgia – Curtis Compton/AJC/APA