The number of patients being treated for COVID-19 at East Georgia Regional Medical Center dropped to 13 Friday, with four requiring ventilators, but 25 new cases appeared countywide, reaching a total of 1,460 residents who have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.

Bulloch County Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn shared the daily COVID numbers Friday, reporting there have been 102 hospitalizations of Bulloch County residents and 19 deaths reported to date by the Department of Public Health. There may actually be 20 fatalities, according to Wynn’s calculations, but the official count remains at 19.

Bulloch County EMS has transported 96 patients with “probable” coronavirus, and 80 confirmed cases, he said.

Statewide, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported 2,989 new cases Friday, bringing the overall total to 249,630. There were 245 new hospitalizations and 96 more deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-related deaths in the state to 4,998.

Appointments for free testing at the local COVID testing site (Specimen Point of Collection) located at 1 W. Altman St. in Statesboro may be made by calling (855) 473-4374 or by visiting https://dph.georgia.gov/covid-19/.