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VALDOSTA — The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has remained in the teens during the past three weeks, according to South Georgia Medical Center.

The hospital has reported three more virus-related deaths since early in the month.

SGMC has reported 552 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, according to a report released Tuesday.

That’s up three deaths since Sept. 2 when the hospital reported a total of 549 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.

South Georgia Medical Center reports the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients remains in the teens, reporting 15 hospitalized virus patients Tuesday.

The hospital reported 27 COVID-19 patients on Aug. 27, and 21 on Aug. 22. The hospital reported 41 hospitalized patients Aug. 15. Forty-one is the highest number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reported by SGMC since the latest surge started in June; it was the highest number reported since late February.

About 3,630 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the facility during the last two and a half years. About 80 virus-related patients have been released from SGMC since early September.

Lowndes County has reported 17,513 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began – an increase of about 140 cases since Sept. 2 – along with 297 confirmed deaths – up four since Sept. 2, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Not all SGMC patients are Lowndes County residents.

Statewide, Georgia had seen more than 2,229,000 confirmed cases since the pandemic’s start, with more than 33,223 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, according to the state health department.