ATLANTA — On Friday, Georgia reported the second-highest daily total of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began as the delta variant surges.

According to the Georgia Department of Health, 9,760 people tested positive for the virus over a 24-hour period. Over the weekend, health officials reported a total of 19,083 new cases of the virus. The GDH does not release reports of new COVID-19 cases on the weekend.

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The record high for cases was reported on Jan 8, 2021, at 10,173 cases in a 24-hour period. Dec. 16, 2020 was the first day that people in Georgia could get the COVID-19 vaccine, so people who contracted the virus in early January would not have had its full protection.

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Vaccines are now available for anyone over the age of 12.

Included in Friday’s total were 2,204 children ages 17 and under. Nearly 62% of cases in children reported on Friday were in the 10 to 17 age group.

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Over 21,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among students and staff at metro Atlanta schools since school started.

Over 5,500 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 in Georgia. According to WellStar Health system, which runs 12 hospitals in metro Atlanta, nearly 95% of patients who are in the intensive care unit, as well as 95% of people on ventilators, are unvaccinated.

On Monday, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that he will deploy another 2,500 National Guard troops to help Georgia hospitals deal with the overwhelming number of COVID-19 patients.

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