COVID-19 cases on the rise in Bulloch Co.

BULLOCH COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - With 20,000 Georgia Southern University students arriving in Statesboro since last week, the numbers for COVID-19 cases have also risen.

It’s prompting some businesses to temporarily close their doors to try to reduce the spread.

Owners of the Blue Room announced they would close immediately. That was Thursday, around the time Bulloch County announced a new record number of new cases in a day. The number for Friday doubles that one.

Co-owners here say they’d rather be safe than sorry.

Most Friday’s the stage here at The Blue Room would have a live band doing sound check to play for the weekend crowd. Owners say they’ve done what they could to keep people safe during this pandemic.

“We have exceeded those guidelines in the sense of taking patrons’ temperatures. Every patron that comes through the door,” said William Bridwell, co-owner of The Blue Room.

But when local COVID-19 case numbers caught the attention of the White House and others, Bridwell and his partners opted to close for a week or two to help reduce spread of the virus. It’s not lost on city and county leaders.

“I applaud any business that recognizes that some of this is too difficult for them to do at this time and would put safety first and close,” said Ted Wynn, Bulloch County Public Safety Director.

Owners aren’t sure yet what change will prompt them to reopen. They just know now’s not the time for them to be open.

“It’s something we’re willing to do to protect members of the community, our staff.”

Bridwell says he personally knows people who’ve tested positive for the virus so this strikes home to him. He says they’ll play it by ear of when to reopen, but they definitely will reopen.

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