Troubling signs for COVID-19 here

State public health information indicates that Grady County has high transmission indicators of COVID-19. Based on information from the dates of Nov. 14 to 27, the only other counties in our health region with the same concern were Baker and Early counties. The information indicates that in Grady County, the percent of positive cases over the last two weeks is 10.9 percent, up from 7.6 percent last week.

The number of deaths of Grady County citizens remained stable at 27 this week.

Free COVID-19 tests are still available at the Grady County Health Department during December, every Monday, 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. The only other day offered this month in Cairo is today, Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.

The local health department is located at 1030 Fourth St., S.E. Testing is offered at other times around the region. Appointments are encouraged at any of the testing sites.

Patients may register online, 24 hours a day at www.covid19.dph.ga.gov. Follow the instructions to schedule an appointment with the preferred location, date, and time.

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

Of Grady County’s neighboring counties in Georgia, only Decatur had a reported death from COVID-19 in the last week according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. That brings Decatur’s death toll to 41 since the pandemic began, compared to Grady County’s 27.

As of Tuesday, Grady General Hospital was treating two COVID-positive patients, while Mitchell County Hospital had one such patient, and Archbold Memorial Hospital had eight according to Shealy Register, spokeswoman for Archbold Medical Centers, which operates the hospitals.

Grady County Schools has six students and two teachers who have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Tuesday. Four of those students are from Shiver School, one attends Northside Elementary School and another attends Whigham School. The positive employees are from Eastside Elementary School and Southside Elementary School.

On quarantine as of Tuesday were 59 students and seven employees, according to information from the Grady County School System. Students on quarantine include one from Cairo High School, 11 from Northside, five from Shiver, 18 from Southside, nine from Washington Middle School, and 15 at Whigham.

School system employees on quarantine as of Tuesday were one from Northside, five from Southside, and one bus driver.