Bulloch County reported more than 10 new COVID-19 cases for the first time since Oct. 2, but on Tuesday the county dropped below a key marker from the Centers for Disease Control for seeing a real reduction in the spread of COVID-19.
In his Wednesday report, Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn said Bulloch had 13 new cases to go with two on Tuesday and has now recorded 2,979 COVID cases, which have resulted in 32 deaths and 136 local residents being hospitalized since the pandemic began in March. There also were 13 new cases reported the last time Bulloch County had more than 10, which was on
Oct. 2
On Tuesday, Bulloch's two-week average for total new cases was 96 per 100,000 residents, which meets the CDC's and the Georgia Department of Health's current goal of having an average of less than 100 new cases over a two-week period per 100,000 residents. It was the first time Bulloch had been below 100 since early June.
However, the 13 cases Wednesday pushed Bulloch back up to 106 cases per 100,000 residents.
Also, Wynn said East Georgia Regional Medical Center staff were caring for 14 patients on Wednesday, with four patients on ventilators.
Bulloch EMS has transported a total of 126 people with probable COVID-19 and 136 with confirmed cases, he said.
Georgia reported 1,331 new cases on Wednesday and 1,021 Tuesday, bringing the state's total number of confirmed cases up to 334,601. Georgia reported 19 deaths Wednesday and 27 on Tuesday, raising the death toll to 7,470.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 216,513 Americans had died from coronavirus, and the U.S. had recorded 7,899,313 confirmed cases, according to statistics from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
Bulloch Schools
Bulloch County Schools recorded two new cases among students and staff Wednesday and now has had a total of 103 COVID cases since Aug. 17.
Local colleges
Georgia Southern reported 14 total new cases for the week of Oct. 5–11, two more than the previous week. Twelve of the cases were on the Statesboro campus.
GS will report again on Monday, Oct. 19.
On Wednesday, East Georgia State College reported no new cases, but reported three new cases of COVID-19 — all on the Swainsboro campus — on Tuesday. The college has had a total of 88 cases across its three campuses since Aug. 17.
Ogeechee Technical College reported no new COVID cases on any of its campuses the week of Oct. 5–11. The college has had a total of 32 cases across its campuses since Aug. 17.
OTC will report again next Monday, Oct. 19.
Testing sites
The Bulloch County Health Department, 1 W. Altman St. in Statesboro, continues to serve as a COVID-19 testing site, or specimen point of collection. It operates 8 a.m. till noon Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. To schedule a free test, call (855) 473-4374 or visit www.sehdph.org/covid-19, where a test can be scheduled online.
Additional free COVID-19 testing continues Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Luetta Moore Park, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.