Phoebe Sumter receives mask donation; COVID numbers continue to drop

AMERICUS – A timely donation and the latest COVID-19 numbers released by Phoebe Putney Health System served as reminders that, while the virus continues to subside throughout the region, there is still reason for concern about the global pandemic.

Numbers released by Phoebe on Monday show that while the number of COVID patients at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital’s main campus and Phoebe North facility in Albany dropped to one of the lowest levels seen at the hospital since the initial wave of the virus eased off last summer, at 26, the number of patients at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center here actually went up, to 11 patients.

Those numbers helped emphasize the significance of a donation of 2,000 KF94 respirator masks to Phoebe Sumter last week from SK Battery America. Representatives from SK Battery, along with 2nd Congressional District U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, delivered the masks.

“While we have vaccines, we also have new variants of the virus that require more protection than our homemade masks,” Bishop said. “This again impacts the need for PPE for our front line workers. It’s times like these when we must all work together — those who can donate their time or their resources that are desperately needed. And today I am grateful for the leadership and generosity of SK Battery America, South Korea Battery America, which is donating 2,000 KF94 masks to Phoebe Sumter. These masks are South Korea’s version of N95 masks, and they will keep all of our hospital workers safe as we continue to fight this virus.”

SK battery America Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SK Innovation Co. Ltd. and the leading developer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles. SK Innovation, a part of SK Group, which is one of the largest conglomerates in Korea, has made a $2.58 billion investment in an electric vehicle battery plant in Commerce that will generate 2,600 jobs.

The investment will provide opportunities for SK Innovation to bring its world-class products to additional automakers in the United States with the goal of making it one of the top EV battery manufacturing sites in the world.

Special Photo: Phoebe