STATESBORO – A 65-year-old male Bulloch County resident died from the coronavirus, according to the noon Saturday update of the Georgia Department of Public Health’s COVID-19 Daily Status Report.

This is the first death from the virus reported in Bulloch County.

There are 16 known cases of COVID-19 among Bulloch County residents, according to the report.

Bulloch County Public Safety/EMA made a Facebook post early Saturday afternoon announcing the death and urging the public to practice social distancing.

“Social distancing is working and must continue at the local/state/and national level to reverse the upward trend in confirmed cases and deaths. Churches and all gatherings are urged to follow Governor’s order and maintain social distancing,” the post reads.

The post says that East Georgia Regional Medical Center is currently caring for seven patients, and Bulloch County EMS has transported five COVID-19 patients to date.

Statewide, the DPH reports 12,159 known cases of COVID-19, with the highest concentrations of the virus around Albany and in the Atlanta metropolitan area.

More than one third of the cases are patients ages 65 and older, and about 1% of the patients are ages 17 and younger, according to the report.

To read more COVID-19 data from the state of Georgia, click here to see the report.

For more information about the signs, symptoms and prevention of the virus, visit the CDC website.

Blakeley Bartee, The George-Anne Editor-in-Chief, gaeditor@georgiasouthern.edu