Georgia set a record for the most new COVID-19 cases in a seven-day period, while Bulloch County experienced its worst seven days for new cases since the middle of September.
With 41,700 new confirmed COVID-19 cases, including daily records of 8,767 on New Year’s Day and 8,545 on New Year’s Eve, Georgia is closing in on 600,000 total cases with 591,106 through Monday.
For the week of Dec. 28–Jan. 4, Bulloch reported 166 confirmed COVID cases, the most since 239 were recorded the week of Sept. 14–20.
“I am concerned about the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and believe this is a result of the Thanksgiving holiday and the numbers from Christmas and New Year’s gatherings will move them higher,” said Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn. “Also, the cold weather is pushing people inside, where transmission of COVID-19 is easiest. The PCR positivity rate for testing Monday was at 23.9%/7-day average. That tells me there is significant infection out there, and people need to take safety measures seriously. Without these measures, the virus will continue to spread at an aggressive pace and more people will get sick requiring care.”
Wynn said Bulloch recorded 37 new cases on Monday, which is the most in one day since 40 cases were reported Sept. 23. Wynn said Bulloch has now recorded 3,838 total COVID cases, which have resulted in 36 deaths and 166 local residents being hospitalized since the pandemic began in March.
Also, the state Department of Health is reporting an additional 21 deaths in Bulloch probably were caused by COVID. According to the Georgia DPH, the 21 non-confirmed deaths represent Bulloch citizens who received a positive antigen/rapid test for COVID-19, developed COVID-19 symptoms and subsequently died.
Wynn said East Georgia Regional Medical Center staff on Monday were caring for 24 COVID patients, with seven patients on ventilators.
“Hospitalizations have increased dramatically nationally and locally,” Wynn said. “EGRMC has done a tremendous job in providing care for those needing hospitalization, but the public needs to do their part in ‘Squashing the Spread,’ so we don’t overwhelm any hospital’s ability to provide care.”
Also, COVID cases that require hospitalization continue to increase in Georgia, setting another single-day high on Monday with 5,304 state residents currently hospitalized with coronavirus. Georgia has seen hospitalizations increase almost every day since Nov. 15. In fact, since that day, daily hospitalizations have risen from 1,978 to 5,304 — a 168-percent increase in seven weeks.
Across the United States, cases that require hospitalization hit another peak on Sunday with 125,562 Americans in the hospital with COVID on that day. National hospitalizations have increased 163% from 47,615 on Nov. 1 to 125,562 on Sunday, according to the COVID Tracking Project.
State, national case numbers
Georgia recorded 4,045 new cases Monday, and the state's total number of confirmed cases is now up to 591,106. Georgia reported seven deaths on Monday, raising the death toll to 9,900.
According to statistics from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, as of Monday afternoon, 352,645 Americans had died from coronavirus. Also, Johns Hopkins reported the U.S. has had 20,748,806 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic.
Bulloch Schools
The Bulloch County Schools system reported 14 new cases the week of Dec. 27–Jan. 2 and one new case this week for a total of 252 COVID cases since classes started on Aug. 17.
Local colleges
Georgia Southern recorded 20 new cases for the week of Dec. 27–Jan. 3. Seventeen of the new cases were on the Statesboro campus. Georgia Southern will report again on Monday, Jan. 1.
East Georgia State College reported two new cases on its Swainsboro campus Sunday. The college has had a total of 107 cases across its three campuses since Aug. 17.
Ogeechee Technical College reported no new cases for the week of Dec. 28–Jan. 3. The college has not had a positive case at its Bulloch County campus since the week of Oct. 19–25 and has had a total of 39 cases across its campuses since Aug. 17.
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 11 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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 Thursdays from 9 a.m. to noon at Luetta Moore Park, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.