Another local resident succumbs to COVID-19

With health experts urging caution as we head into the winter season, Grady County continues to record lower numbers of new COVID-19 cases although one more resident has died from the disease, according to state public health information. That makes a total of 26 Grady countians who have died from COVID-19 in the last eight months.

In the last two weeks, we’ve had 28 new positive cases here for a total of 901 since March.

The Grady County School System continues to manage the pandemic, with 100 students and 10 employees out on quarantine as of Tuesday.

There were three students who had tested positive, one at Cairo High School and two at Shiver School Tuesday. Two employees were positive, according to school system information, one at C.H.S. and one at Northside Elementary School.

The students on quarantine included 10 at C.H.S.; two at Eastside Elementary School; 31 at Northside; 42 at Shiver; 11 at Southside Elementary School; three at Washington Middle School; and one at Whigham School.

Employees on quarantine include four at C.H.S.; five at Shiver; and one at W.M.S.

The Grady County Health Department is continuing to offer free testing, with three more dates scheduled for the month of November, Friday, Nov. 20 – 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 24, 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.; and Saturday, Nov. 28, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Testing takes place at the Grady County Health Department in Cairo located at 1030 Fourth St., S.E.

Appointments are strongly encouraged. Register online, 24 hours a day, via smartphone, tablet, or computer at www.covid19.dph.ga.gov. Follow the instructions to schedule the appointment with a preferred location, date, and time.

In addition, the appointment hotline is still available Monday through Saturday at (229) 352-6567.

As of Tuesday, Grady General Hospital was caring for two COVID-positive patients, while Archbold Memorial Hospital in Thomasville had six positive patients, an Mitchell County Hospital in Camilla had two positive patients, according to spokeswoman Shealy Register with Archbold Medical Centers, which operates the hospitals.

Like Grady County, Mitchell County had only 28 new cases in the last two weeks while Decatur had 61 and Thomas had 58. Mitchell County also had one new death while Decatur had five and Thomas had three in the last two weeks.

Leon County in Florida continues to have much higher numbers, with 1,082 new cases and 10 new deaths in the last two weeks. During the same time period, Gadsden recorded 75 new cases, but no new deaths.