VALDOSTA – The number of hospitalized patients in SGMC has fallen back into the single digits this week, according to reports from South Georgia Medical Center.

It is the lowest number of virus-related patients at SGMC since late December.

South Georgia Medical Center reported seven virus-related patients Tuesday.

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at SGMC was still in the double digits Saturday with 11 patients reported.

The hospital has reported 527 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic – an addition of about 10 virus-related deaths since earlier this month.

Lowndes County has reported 270 virus-related deaths since the start of the pandemic. Not all SGMC patients are Lowndes County residents.

The SGMC patient number was at 50 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at the end of February. The number of hospitalized SGMC virus patients reached a high of 112 during the omicron variant.

The record high during the past two years of the pandemic is 113 patients reported hospitalized Aug. 22, 2021, during the delta variant surge at the hospital.

SGMC had reported COVID-19 patients in the low single digits at Christmas rising to triple digits within a few weeks of the new year.

SGMC has discharged 3,082 COVID-19 patients throughout the pandemic.

Lowndes County had reported more than 15,200 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic and had reported 270 virus-related deaths, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. About 15,660 antigen cases have been reported; antigen cases are results from rapid virus tests.

Statewide, Georgia has reported about 1,923,000 cases since the start of the pandemic, with more than 30,700 virus-related deaths, according to the GDPH.