Phoebe systemwide COVID-19 infections surge 40% in one week

ALBANY — The news from Phoebe Putney Health system officials Friday was not good.

The number of COVID-19 patients in the southwest Georgia health system, which had for weeks been immune to the surge that was taking place throughout the state and nationwide, increased by 40% in one week, reaching levels not seen in the region in more than three months.

After weeks of hospitalized patients numbering in the low 20s, Phoebe had 59 patients systemwide on Friday, officials with the health system announced.

“Unfortunately, the surge in COVID-19 cases that began in much of the rest of the country a couple of months ago has arrived in southwest Georgia,” Phoebe Health System President/CEO Scott Steiner said. “Our number of hospitalized patients has increased significantly over the last two and a half weeks, jumping by 40% systemwide in the last week alone. We are now at a level not seen since early September.”

As of noon Friday, these were Phoebe’s COVID-19 numbers:

♦ Total COVID-19 patients in Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital: 59;

♦ Total COVID-19 patients in Phoebe Sumter Medical Center: 4;

♦ Total COVID-19 patients in Phoebe Worth Medical Center: 0;

♦ Total inpatients who recovered: 1,454;

♦ Total COVID-19-related deaths at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital: 171;

♦ Total COVID-19-related deaths at Phoebe Sumter: 44.

Steiner said the health system is anxiously awaiting a shipment of vaccines that will be available in the region soon.

“Phoebe will be among the first in Georgia to receive and administer COVID-19 vaccines,” he said. “We are anxiously awaiting our first shipment and are prepared to begin putting shots in arms right away, focusing initially on health care workers at highest risk of exposure to the virus. The city of Albany’s mask ordinance was reinstituted this week, and we encourage everyone to follow it. We may be in for some difficult weeks ahead, but together we can minimize the impact and make it through what we hope will be the final surge of COVID-19 infections.”

Special Photo: UGA