While Bulloch County ticked up over 10 COVID-19 daily cases for the first time this week, the county has seen only 28 new cases since last Sunday.

Also, Bulloch County Schools recorded its first new case since Monday after reporting no new cases of coronavirus for the previous three days.

With 13 new cases Friday, Bulloch has now recorded 2,908 COVID cases, which have resulted in 28 deaths and 132 local residents being hospitalized since the pandemic began in March.

In his report Friday, Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn said East Georgia Regional Medical Center staff were caring for 18 patients, with three 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 1,337 new cases on Friday, bringing the state’s total number of confirmed cases up to 320,634. Georgia reported 45 deaths Friday, raising the death toll to 7,106.

As of Friday afternoon, 208,304 Americans had died from coronavirus, and the U.S. had recorded 7,303,914 confirmed cases, according to statistics from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

Bulloch County Schools

With one new case of COVID-19 diagnosed at William James Middle School announced on Friday, the total number of cases confirmed since Bulloch County Schools began on Aug. 17 rose to 94.

Also, BCS reported 178 students and employees were under quarantine as of Friday, which is down from 281 on Thursday.

Hayley Greene, public relations director for Bulloch County Schools, said that less than 1.5% of the 896 students and staff who have been placed under quarantine since school started on Aug. 17 have developed symptoms or tested positive for COVID-19.

Local colleges

For the week of Sept. 21–27, Georgia Southern University reported 19 total cases, with 15 of the cases on the Statesboro campus. Georgia Southern’s next update will be Monday.

East Georgia State College has recorded no new, self-reported cases of COVID-19 on the Statesboro campus since Sept. 14. The college reported no new cases on any of its campuses Friday and has had a total of 76 cases across its three campuses since Aug. 17.

Ogeechee Technical College reported one COVID case on its Bulloch County campus, the week of Sept. 21–27. OTC will report again next on Oct. 5.

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.