Source: South Georgia Medical Center

VALDOSTA – Forty-two new COVID-19 cases were added in Lowndes Wednesday, according to the GDPH report.

The county has reported a total of 1,997 cases since the start of the outbreak, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health report. 

The overall number of COVID-19 patients being treated at South Georgia Medical Center grew by one Wednesday. In the morning, SGMC CEO Ronnie Dean said that “virtually every bed is filled” and plans were in place in case a bed shortage occurred. 

SGMC was treating 55 patients Wednesday, according to the hospital’s daily report. Last week, the hospital experienced a five-day spike when coronavirus patients at the hospital jumped from 40 last Monday to 69 Friday.

As of Wednesday, 108 Lowndes residents have been hospitalized due to COVID-19, since the start of the outbreak, according to the report.

After adding one death to the Lowndes County total Tuesday, the total fell by one Wednesday. The county has had 18 deaths since the start of the outbreak, according to the GDPH.

No explanation for why the death count was reduced was immediately available Wednesday afternoon, according to the South Health District. 

The South Health District has performed 15,783 coronavirus tests throughout its 10 counties Wednesday, according to the district COVID-19 website.

SGMC had discharged 258 COVID-19 patients and had one patient waiting for testing results, according to the report. 

Thirty-nine SGMC patients have died from the virus since the outbreak of the virus, according to the hospital’s report.

Not all SGMC patients are Lowndes County residents and some patients who have been transferred from other regional hospitals have tested positive for COVID-19, according to past reports.

For more data on Lowndes and the surrounding counties, The Valdosta Daily Times has created a database to track COVID-19 across the South Health District.

To reach the database, click the link here.