Home Local News 50 new COVID cases reported in Richmond County after Thanksgiving

50 new COVID cases reported in Richmond County after Thanksgiving

ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department has logged 60 additional cases of COVID-19 since Thanksgiving Day.

On Monday, the Health Department reported 50 new cases, which included Friday through early Monday. Ten cases were reported on Thanksgiving day. That averages around 12 new cases per day.

The new cases bring Richmond County’s total up to 1,850 cases since the first was reported in April. A total of 403 cases were reported in November — two more than in October and 45 more than in September.

Richmond County Schools reported on Monday there was one staff member of West Rockingham Elementary and one virtual student at Richmond Senior who have tested positive over the weekend.

There are currently 148 active cases in the county, including four hospitalizations.

Statewide, the hospitalization rate has steadily increased over the past several weeks, hitting a record high of 1,966 on Nov. 29, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

FirstHealth reported on Monday that 42 of its 340 patients (12.2%) are being treated for COVID-19.

Last Thursday, the Health Department reported the county’s 40th COVID-related death.

According to a press release, that individual died in a local hospital.

There have been six deaths related to the coronavirus during the month of November, and there were 15 in October.

According to the Health Department, 29 have passed away in a hospital, eight have died in another healthcare setting and three have died outside of a health setting.

All patients have been between the ages of 31 and 95: 16 have been 80 or older; 11 have been in their 70s; nine in their 60s; three in their 50s; and one who was 31.

(The Health Department last reported 14 were 80 or older and 10 were in their 60s.)

The race and gender breakdown is as follows: six African American females; six African American males; two American Indian males; 16 Caucasian females; and 10 Caucasian males.

It is not known if any of the patients had underlying conditions.

As of Nov. 30, there were 5,261 COVID-related deaths in the state, according to DHHS. Johns Hopkins University reports (as of 5 p.m. Nov. 30) there have been 267,635 COVID-related deaths in the U.S. and 1,465,111 globally.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 6% of reported COVID-related deaths in the country have COVID-19 listed as the only cause of death, and an average of 2.6 additional causes of death in the others.

Nearly 60,000 tests were completed statewide on Nov. 26.

DHHS reports there have been a total of 5,295,290 tests completed in the state, with 364,512 positive cases. Of those, 315,579 are presumed to have recovered as of Nov. 30.

Of the 57,534 tests completed by FirstHealth: 5,984 have been positive; 50,455 have been negative; and 304 results are still pending.

Richmond County has had 17,699 negative test results and 1,662 recoveries.

Free testing COVID in the parking lot behind the Human Services Complex on Caroline Street has been extended until Dec. 31. Testing will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Register for testing by visiting www.lhi.care and following the directions at the top or by calling 877-562-4850.

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BY THE NUMBERS

The number of local cases per age group are as follows (includes recoveries):

  • 0-18 – 283
  • 19-30 – 315 
  • 31-40 – 239
  • 41-50 – 332 
  • 50-64 – 378
  • 65-older – 303 

The total number of cases per ZIP code are as follows:

  • Rockingham – 983 (81 active)
  • Hamlet – 532 (52 active)
  • Ellerbe – 158 (9 active)
  • Hoffman – 150 (1 active)
  • Mount Gilead – 10 (0 active)
  • Marston – 16 (5 active)
  • Jackson Springs – 1 (0 active)

More than 60 of the state’s 100 counties have now experienced more than 1,000 total cases.

Only three counties have had fewer than 200 cases, and they are all in the northeast corner of the state: Tyrrell (140), Camden (186), Gates (197) and Hyde (185). Gates County, which was previously among that group, now has had 218 cases. All four are among the state’s 10 least-populated counties.

The total numbers (including recoveries) for surrounding counties are as follows:

  • Mecklenburg – 43,661 (other counties to top 10,000 are Wake, Guilford, Forsyth and Durham. All are among the state’s six most-populated counties.)
  • Union – 7,887
  • Stanly – 2,992
  • Montgomery – 1,404
  • Anson – 932
  • Moore – 2,946 (262 active, 66 deaths)
  • Hoke – 1,970
  • Scotland – 1,962
  • Robeson – 7,406 (more than higher-populated counties New Hanover and Buncombe)

All numbers are from DHHS except Moore, which are from the local health department, as there has been a discrepancy with the state.

Robeson, Hoke and Montgomery counties are among those listed as having critical community spread by DHHS.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control is reporting (as of Nov. 28) 1,758 total cases and 53 deaths in Chesterfield County and 1,426 cases and 18 deaths in Marlboro County.



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Managing Editor William R. Toler is an award-winning writer and photographer with experience in print, television and online media.