VALDOSTA — South Georgia Medical Center reported a COVID-19-related death Friday while the number of hospitalized virus patients skirted the 90s.

SGMC has reported 307 virus patients have died since the beginning of the pandemic.

Eighty-seven COVID-19 patients were hospitalized Friday.

SGMC also reported that 59 is the average age of its hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Other data provided by the hospital includes that 86% of the 87 hospitalized patients are unvaccinated.

Scarlett Rivera, SGMC director of infection prevention, said the delta variant is here and is very transmissible.

“Although we have already administered more than 36,000 vaccinations since December of 2020, Lowndes County is still only at 27% fully vaccinated,” Rivera said. “With schools starting back, we want to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated before the fall.”

The vaccination is the best line of defense against COVID-19 and its variants, Rivera said, so SGMC is encouraging everyone to get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Lowndes County neared 8,950 cases Friday with the addition of 64 cases, reporting 8,947 virus cases since the start of the pandemic, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Lowndes County’s virus deaths stand at 151 since the start of the pandemic, according to the GDPH.

There have been more than 6,900 antigen positive cases reported in Lowndes – officially reporting 6,947 Thursday – an increase of 115 antigen cases since the previous day – and 71 probable deaths since the pandemic began, according to the report.

The hospital reported 855 tests taken daily on Aug. 13, now the second-highest amount of tests taken since July 1, according to SGMC data.

SGMC has released 1,799 virus patients since the start of the pandemic.

SGMC reported more than 37,000 vaccinations, showing 37,402 vaccines administered. 

SGMC issues COVID-19 reports Monday through Friday.