Slight uptick in school cases following break
For the second week in a row, Grady County has seen only three new cases of COVID-19 here, bringing our total number of cases since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,510. As of Tuesday, the state public health information indicates we have not had a new death from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, leaving us at a total of 46 Grady County residents who have died from COVID-19.
When The Messenger asked public information officer Karen Snyder of the Southwest Health District 8-2 why some sources indicate our number of deaths is 58, Snyder said the higher number also includes those deaths classified as “probable.”
Jackie Jenkins, epidemiologist for Southwest Health District 8-2, stated Tuesday, “Following case definition, in Georgia, COVID-19 cases are defined as confirmed if the person had a P.C.R. (positive molecular) test – consequently the COVID-19 confirmed deaths are from confirmed cases who expired. Positive cases from antigen based tests are classified as probable cases, if a probable cases death is related to COVID-19, the death is termed probable. D.P.H. usually does not combine the numbers when reporting out deaths— but it is accurate to say Grady County has ‘58 total covid-related deaths’.”
The increases in deaths and cases in neighboring counties also remains low again this week.
Hospitals operated by Archbold Medical Center with covid-positive patients include Grady General Hospital with one and Archbold Memorial Hospital in Thomasville with three as of Tuesday, according to spokeswoman Shealy Register.
Two days after returning from a week of spring break, Grady County Schools saw a slight uptick in cases and quarantines as of Tuesday.
There are 13 students on quarantine, compared to five the week before the spring holiday. Those on quarantine as of Tuesday include four at Cairo High School, three at Whigham School, and two each at Eastside, Shiver and Southside elementary schools.
Two students were out Tuesday after testing positive for COVID-19, one at C.H.S. and one at Shiver.
After several weeks of zero employees being quarantined or positive, one from Whigham was out with a positive result and one from Eastside was on quarantine as of Tuesday, according to Dr. Kermit Gilliard, superintendent of Grady County Schools.
