Georgia Couple Die of COVID on the Same Day As Virus Tears Through State
A couple in Georgia who died of COVID on the same have become the latest victims of the disease in a state hard-hit by the pandemic.
Edwin McCullers, 66, and his wife Linda McCullers, 58, died at Memorial Hospital, Bainbridge, Georgia, on Saturday, August 28. The married couple were the owners of several local businesses in the city of Bainbridge, Decatur County, Georgia. This included Flint River Outfitters, which sells outdoor equipment, and hunting and fishing gear, and Linda's hair salon.
On Facebook, Bainbridge local and friend of the McCullers, Jay Wells wrote: "Edwin and his dear wife Linda McCullers were two of the hardest working people I ever knew. They built several highly successful businesses over the years, but they always took the time to personally attend to each customer.
"They genuinely appreciated every person who walked through the front door. I had known both of them for decades, and I was blessed to call them friends."
The statement was among dozens to appear on the social media site according to a report from WSB-TV Atalanta.
The station also reported that it was the family of the McCullers who revealed the couple had died as a result of COVID. The family also requested that guests attending the joint obituary wear masks. The couple's funeral service will be held in private.
According to The New York Times COVID tracker, COVID deaths in Decatur County have fallen over the past 14 days, but still remain extremely high. COVID-related deaths in the county have remained the same, around four every two weeks, while hospitalizations have increased by 62 percent since June.
A recent report from the Georgia Department of Health revealed that the state's Intensive Care Unit beds had reached over 95 percent capacity and the state is regarded as one of those in the southern U.S to be hardest hit by the virus.
Since the pandemic began, around one in six Decatur residents have been infected, with the total number of cases in the county reported to be 4,079. 66 deaths have occurred as a result of the virus.
As with Georgia as a whole, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises that cases are so high in Decatur county that even vaccinated citizens wear masks in public. Travelers are advised by the CDC to avoid travelling to Georgia whether they are fully vaccinated or not.
The McCullers' friend concluded by noting the positive effect the couple had on the small community of Bainbridge, with a population of just 13,000 people. Wells said: "The McCullers did a lot of good things for Bainbridge and Decatur County.
"Their legacy will live on in the many young people who learned the value of hard work and treating folks right that these two ate, slept, and breathed."
