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COVID claims tenth Bulloch resident
Governor touts “Four Things for Four Weeks”
COVID

With a 63-person jump in coronavirus cases over the weekend in Bulloch County, along with its tenth COVID-19 fatality, local and state health officials urged the public to try a four-week plan to stop the virus’ spread,

The weekend’s rise in cases to a total of 941 continues an upward trend for the past seven weeks in Bulloch. After recording only 62 confirmed cases and 10 hospitalizations in March, April and May, Bulloch County has added 879 COVID cases and 60 hospitalizations since June 1. Also, of the 10 deaths reported in Bulloch, eight have occurred since June 7.

If everyone follows four simple steps for just four weeks, the COVID-19 numbers might fall, said Bulloch County Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn.

He reported the death of a 76-year-old woman Saturday as the county’s latest COVID-19 fatality. A 73-year-old man was reported Thursday as the ninth Bulloch County resident to succumb to the virus.  

The “Four Things for Four Weeks” plan suggested by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner, Dr. Kathleen Toomey can take down the coronavirus curve, he said. Kemp and Toomey “are calling on all Georgians to implement ‘Four Things for Four Weeks’ into their daily routines to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19.”

The message is not new, but health officials said it bears repeating: “wear a mask when out in public or when you cannot keep distance inside; practice physical distancing – six feet from those you do not live with; wash your hands for 20 seconds several times throughout the day with soap and warm water; and follow the (governor’s executive orders) and heed the guidance provided by public health officials,” he said.

Sunday, East Georgia Regional Medical Center treated its largest number of COVID-19 patients, 26, since the pandemic started. Monday, the number of patients being treated for the coronavirus dropped to 22, but over half – 12 – were on ventilators, he said.

Bulloch County EMS has transported 73 people with “probable/possible” positive cases and 49 confirmed positive cases, he said.

After a week that saw more than 425 Georgians die from coronavirus – an average of more than 60 per day, the state reported only 11 new deaths Monday. Since the start of the pandemic, 3,495 have died in Georgia and the state has had 170,843 confirmed COVID diagnoses.

In the United States, 147,003 deaths and 4,273,400 total cases had been reported as of 2 p.m. Monday.

Bulloch County residents who would like a free COVIS-19 test may schedule an appointment at the SPOC/Specimen Point of Collection site at the Bulloch County Health Department located at 1 West Altman Street in Statesboro. Call (855) 473-4374.

 

Herald reporter Holli Deal Saxon may be reached at 912-489-9414.

 

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