VALDOSTA — The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients has dropped into single digits for the first time since late June, according to South Georgia Medical Center.

The hospital has reported three more virus-related deaths since late last month.

SGMC has reported 555 deaths since the start of the pandemic in March 2020, according to a report released this week.

That’s up three deaths since Sept. 21 when the hospital reported a total of 552 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began.

South Georgia Medical Center reported nine hospitalized COVID-19 patients early this week.

The hospital reported 15 COVID-19 patients on Sept. 21. The number was down to 10 late last week.

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

About 3,672 COVID-19 patients have been discharged from the facility during the last two and a half years. About 42 virus-related patients have been released from SGMC since Sept. 21.

Lowndes County has reported more than 17,500 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began along with about 300 confirmed deaths, according to recent Georgia Department of Public Health reports.

Not all SGMC patients are Lowndes County residents.

Statewide, Georgia had seen more than 2,230,000 confirmed cases since the pandemic’s start, with more than 33,200 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, according to recent state health department reports.