For the first time since Nov. 29-30, Georgia recorded two consecutive days of reporting fewer than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases. 

The state had 1,726 cases on Sunday followed by 1,736 on Monday, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. Also, the total of 2,462 cases for Feb. 14-15 was 3,230 fewer new cases than reported for the previous Sunday and Monday, Feb. 7-8. 

For the same period, Bulloch County reported 18 new cases – nine for both Sunday and Monday. Bulloch now has recorded 4,904 total COVID cases, which have resulted in 47 deaths and 90 local residents being hospitalized since the pandemic began in March, said Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn.

Also, the state Department of Health has reported 37 non-confirmed deaths, which represent Bulloch citizens who received a positive antigen/rapid test for COVID-19, developed COVID-19 symptoms and then died. 

Across the state, case numbers continued to see a significant decline in the past two weeks. The state's total number of confirmed cases is now up to 792,509, an increase of 17,043 cases in the past week, but 5,975 fewer cases less than the 23,018 reported the week of Feb. 1-8 and 13,342 fewer new cases than the 30,386 reported for the week of Jan. 25-31. 

The state, reported four deaths on Sunday and 33 on Monday. The state death toll now stands at 13,997 since March.

Vaccinations

According to the Department of Health, Bulloch County vaccine providers have administered 11,548 doses of the 12,400 vaccines the county has been allocated as of Monday afternoon. The state website also indicates that Bulloch has not received any more vaccine doses since Feb. 8.

The Bulloch County Health Department is accepting new appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine. All public health departments across Georgia paused scheduling appointments on Jan. 25 to make sure there was enough vaccine for second doses and for those who already had future appointments.

Currently, anyone 65 and older is eligible to receive a vaccine along with other groups, including health care workers and law enforcement and rescue personnel.

The only way to schedule an appointment at the Bulloch Health Department is to call (855) 473-4374. Officials asked callers to be patient while on hold to make an appointment. 

If an appointment is not available at the Altman St. office in Statesboro, they can schedule an appointment at any of the health departments in the area through the same appointment number.

Hospitalizations

Wynn said East Georgia Regional Medical Center staff on Monday were caring for 21 COVID patients, with 8 patients on ventilators.

COVID cases that require hospitalization continue to see a strong decline in Georgia. After setting a single-day high Jan. 11 with 6,108 state residents hospitalized, that number dropped to 3,271 hospitalized on Sunday. Hospitalizations have declined almost every day since Jan. 11.

Across the United States, cases that require hospitalization have been cut almost in half since hitting a peak on Jan. 6 of 132,474 Americans in the hospital with COVID. On Sunday, hospitalizations had dropped to 67,023. It marked the 33rd consecutive day of a decline in hospitalizations.

National case numbers

According to statistics from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, as of Monday afternoon, 486,111 Americans had died from coronavirus. Also, Johns Hopkins reported the U.S. has had 27,682,645 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic. 

Bulloch Schools

The Bulloch County Schools system has reported no new cases this week, and a total of 560 COVID cases since classes started on Aug. 17. Schools are closed this week for Winter Break.

Local colleges 

After two weeks of small increases in new COVID-19 cases, Georgia Southern University saw a 35% drop in new cases this past week.

Georgia Southern had 52 total cases reported Feb. 8-14 — 32 self-reported and 20 university confirmed cases. GS reported 80 total cases for the week of Feb. 1-7.

The 52 new coronavirus cases include 44 on the Statesboro campus and eight on the Armstrong-Savannah campus. No new cases were reported on the Liberty campus in Hinesville. 

East Georgia State College reported one new case across its three campuses over the weekend. The college has had a total of 152 cases across its three campuses since Aug. 17.

Ogeechee Technical College reported one new cases for the week of Feb. 8–14. Ogeechee Tech has had a total of 64 cases across its campuses since Aug. 17.    

Testing sites

COVID-19 testing operated by Mako Medical is available at Luetta Moore Park, 585 Martin Luther King Drive. 

Testing schedule: Monday, Wednesday — 8 a.m.–3 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday — 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday — 9 a.m.–4 p.m.; second and fourth Saturday of each month — 8:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

To register, visit https://mako.exchange/splash/GAmakotesting/.