While Bulloch County continued a trend on Tuesday of reporting fewer daily cases of COVID-19, Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn is concerned a steep drop in the number of people actually being tested may be behind the decline in confirmed cases.
Wynn said the Department of Public Health testing center on Altman Street in Statesboro administrated 924 tests the week of Sept. 7-13. But the number of tests given the week of Sept. 21-27 dropped to 557. Wynn said the East Georgia Health Care site at Luetta Moore Park also is reporting giving fewer tests.
“We must test, trace and isolate to beat this virus,” Wynn said. “Please get tested if you feel you have been exposed or have symptoms. And be sure to get you annual flu shot as soon as possible.”
Bulloch County had five new cases reported Tuesday and has now recorded 2,934 COVID cases, which have resulted in 28 deaths and 133 local residents being hospitalized since the pandemic began in March.
In his report Tuesday, Wynn said East Georgia Regional Medical Center staff were caring for 12 patients, with two patients on ventilators.
Bulloch EMS has transported a total of 125 people with probable COVID-19 and 133 with confirmed cases, he said.
Georgia reported 979 new cases on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total number of confirmed cases up to 324,650. Georgia reported 39 deaths on both Saturday and Sunday, raising the death toll to 7,229.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 210,616 Americans had died from coronavirus, and the U.S. had recorded 7,485,331 confirmed cases, according to statistics from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.
Bulloch schools
Bulloch County Schools recorded one new case among students and staff Tuesday and now has had a total of 97 COVID cases since Aug. 17. As of Tuesday, 180 students and staff were under quarantine.
Local colleges
For the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4, Georgia Southern University reported 12 total cases — 11 self-reported and one university-confirmed. Ten of the cases were on the Statesboro campus. It marked the fifth consecutive week of fewer cases recorded.
GS will report again on Monday, Oct. 12.
East Georgia State College recorded two new, self-reported cases of COVID-19 for the week on the Statesboro campus for the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4. The cases were the first on the Statesboro campus since Sept. 14. The college has had a total of 78 cases across its three campuses since Aug. 17.
Ogeechee Technical College reported two COVID cases on its Bulloch County campus, the week of Sept. 28-Oct. 4. The college has had a total of 32 cases across its campuses since Aug. 17.