Local cases of COVID-19 top 1,000

Grady County reached a milestone in COVID-19 cases this past week when we crossed the 1,000 case mark.

As of Tuesday, 1,008 Grady County residents have tested positive for the virus in the last 10 months. In the last two weeks, we have had an increase of 68 new cases here.

No new deaths of local residents were reported by public health as of Tuesday, with that number remaining at 27.

Statewide, we had an increase of 39,562 new cases of COVID-19 with 285 new deaths in the last week.

Grady General Hospital was treating six COVID-positive patients as of Tuesday, while Archbold Memorial Hospital in Thomasville had 31 such patients, with Brooks and Mitchell county hospitals having two each.

In the Southwest Georgia health region, there were 91 intensive care unit beds out of 102 being used as of Tuesday.

Case load in surrounding counties is increasing with Thomas County seeing 289 new cases in the last two weeks, Mitchell County increasing by 112 in the same time period, and Decatur going up by 94 during that time.

The Grady County Health Department is continuing to offer free testing with the next available date being Monday, Dec. 28, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Every county in Southwest Georgia offers testing on a rotating basis.

“We try to have testing not more than one county away if possible,” says Dr. Charles Ruis, District Health Director.

In Cairo, the testing will take place at the Grady County Health Department located at 1030 Fourth St., S.E.

Appointments for the Grady County site, and all public health collection sites, are strongly encouraged.

Register online, 24 hours a day, via smartphone, tablet, or computer at www.covid19.dph.ga.gov.

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