With 15 more cases announced Wednesday, Bulloch County now has a total of 699 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Public Safety Director Ted Wynn. Meanwhile, Georgia recorded its second-most coronavirus cases in a single day with 3,871, bringing the total to 127,834 since the first case was diagnosed on March 2.

Wynn and other officials urged area residents to remain vigilant in keeping themselves safe and others, as well, by wearing masks while in public, practicing social distancing and avoiding large crowds. He also said people can now schedule a free COVID-19 test online by filling out a questionnaire at covid19.dph.ga.gov/.

The local effort to distribute free masks also is continuing, Wynn said, with masks available at Luetta Moore Park on Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On Saturday, about 25 local volunteers with Bulloch EMA, a COVID-19 action committee organized by Statesboro Mayor Jonathan McCollar, and the “community movement” group called “Squashing the Spread Bulloch” handed out about 4,000 masks to people at local businesses.

Beginning Monday, anyone wanting to shop at or use other services inside the Walmart Supercenter on Northside Drive or the Walmart Neighborhood Market off Fair Road will be required to wear a mask.

Walmart will require customers to wear face coverings at all of its stores across the nation, making it the largest retailer to introduce such a policy that has otherwise proven difficult to enforce without state and federal requirements.

Walmart said that it's currently working on different options for customers who don't show up with a face mask.

Bulloch hospitalizations

Wynn said East Georgia Regional Medical Center is currently caring for 18 coronavirus patients, and five are on ventilators.

In Georgia, of the state’s 127,834 confirmed cases as of Wednesday, there have been 14,102 hospitalizations and 3,091 deaths.

As of Wednesday at 3 p.m., across the United States, 139,788 people have died from coronavirus, and there have been 3,594,360 confirmed cases.