After recording at least 360 cases of COVID-19 in each of the previous two weeks, Georgia Southern University experienced a significant decline in the number of cases last week, reporting 95 new cases on Monday.

Georgia Southern reported 508 cases for the week of Aug. 24–30 and 363 for Aug. 31–Sept. 6, so the 95 coronavirus cases reported Monday for Sept. 7–13 represent a 74% drop from the previous week and an 81% drop from the cases reported Aug. 31.

In a note released Monday on its COVID-19 website, the university wrote: “The report shows a second consecutive week of decline in confirmed and self-reported cases after completion of the fourth full week of classes on our campuses. … Though we are pleased that last week’s numbers indicate effectiveness in protecting our campus classrooms, offices, and communities, we must remain vigilant with our adherence to public health guidelines.”

The cases are separated by Georgia Southern into two categories, university-confirmed and self-reported, and now total 1,037 — 730 self-reported and 307 university-confirmed — since the university resumed in-person classes on Aug. 17. Of the 1,037 cases, 989 are on the Statesboro campus, 47 on the Armstrong campus and one on the Hinesville campus.

In its Monday note, the university praised students: “We especially applaud our students who have stepped up to support these efforts and encourage responsibility within their social networks. We must continue to exercise responsibility both on and off campus­ — to wear face-coverings, remain socially distant from others, and wash hands frequently.”

Bulloch County Schools

In its daily report, Bulloch County Schools reported a reduction in the total number of students and school system employees under quarantine for the first time since it started releasing COVID information on Aug. 17.

On Friday, Bulloch County reported 566 students and employees under quarantine, but on Monday that reported number dropped to 242. Also Monday, the school system reported two additional positive COVID-19 cases, for a total of 66 cases since Aug. 17.

Bulloch County

A 36-year-old woman became Bulloch County’s youngest victim due to the coronavirus, and 79 new local cases were reported since Friday.

In his Saturday report to the public, Bulloch County Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn said the woman had no known comorbid conditions in becoming Bulloch’s 24th death since the pandemic began.

Bulloch added 22 cases Saturday, 41 on Sunday and 16 on Monday and now has 2,659 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March. The county has seen an increase of 1,045 cases since Aug. 28 — that means 39% of total cases have been recorded in the past 17 days.

Wynn said East Georgia Regional Medical Center staff were caring for 21 patients Monday. Six patients are on ventilators.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Bulloch County has reported 126 hospitalizations and 24 deaths. Bulloch EMS has transported a total of 112 people with probable COVID-19 and 118 with confirmed cases, he said.

At East Georgia State College, officials reported 27 cases, both confirmed and self-reported, on the Statesboro campus and 63 cases overall on its three campuses as of Monday.

Ogeechee Technical College is reporting cases weekly and had 24 confirmed cases as of Monday — 20 students and four employees, all on the Bulloch County campus.

On Monday, Georgia reported 4,588 new COVID cases for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, raising the state’s total number of confirmed cases to 295,337. The state reported 107 deaths over the weekend, raising the death toll to 6,353.

As of Monday afternoon, 194,339 Americans have died from coronavirus, and the U.S. has recorded 6,539,483 confirmed cases, according to statistics from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine.

Testing

Statesboro’s city government and the Bulloch County government have partnered with East Georgia Healthcare Center to offer free COVID-19 testing two mornings each week at Luetta Moore Park. Testing will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30–11:30 a.m., starting Tuesday, at Luetta Moore Park, 121 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

Appointments for free COVID testing at the Specimen Point of Collection site at 1 W. Altman St. in Statesboro may be made by calling (855) 473-4374 or by visiting www.sehdph.org/covid-19/.