ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department reported more than 60 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend.
In Monday’s update, the Health Department announced that 64 more Richmond County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus — nearly 20 fewer than the previous weekend.
The number of active cases now stands at 318, with 299 residents under home isolation.
According to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, there were 4,770 new cases of the coronavirus reported across the state on Monday — nearly 3,000 fewer than the record high of 7,540 reported Dec. 11.
The only time the statewide daily case count has been below 4,000 this month was Dec. 1. Six days have seen counts in excess of 6,000. There were 6,153 cases reported on Saturday and 6,819 on Sunday.
Richmond County Schools reported Monday that, as of 4 p.m., two traditional students — one each at East Rockingham, Monroe Avenue and West Rockingham — as well as one staff member each from Fairview Heights and central services tested positive over the weekend.
The School Board voted last week to return to remote learning for the remainder of this semester through at least Jan. 29. However, since the students began the year in class, they still count as “traditional.”
The overall school related case counts, since RCS started keeping track in August, are as follows: 42 traditional students; 98 virtual students; 43 school staff members; nine central service staffers.
Earlier in the day, the Health Department reported the county’s 45th COVID-related death. There have been 5,855 in North Carolina, according to DHHS; and nearly 300,000 across the U.S., and more than 1.6 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University.
HOSPITALIZATIONS CONTINUE ASCENT
DHHS reports there were 2,553 COVID-related hospitalizations as of Sunday, Dec. 13. (Hospital numbers from the state are always a day behind.)
That number has steadily been on the rise in the past month, increasing almost daily from 1,405 on Nov. 14.
Nineteen Richmond County residents are currently in a hospital, according to the local Health Department.
When the Health Department lists hospitalizations, they are usually from within the FirstHealth system, Health and Human Services Director Dr. Tommy Jarrell said, unless the department is aware of residents hospitalized elsewhere.
FirstHealth reported Monday that 73 of its 354 patients (20.6%) were COVID-positive. The number on Friday was 15.7%.
Those numbers are systemwide and include: Moore Regional in Pinehurst, MRH-Richmond, MRH-Hoke and Montgomery Memorial Hospital.
“We continue to see upward trends in COVID-19 cases across our region and are experiencing an uptick in hospitalized patients within the FirstHealth system,” John Jackson, president, southern region and administrator, FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond, said in a statement over the weekend. “The increasing strain on our health system and workforce is a real concern.”
Jackson said the number of COVID-positive patients treated in the system’s hospitals last week “reached higher levels than we’ve seen throughout the pandemic.”
“I’m extremely proud of our dedicated team of health care professionals at MRH-Richmond,” Jackson said. “They continue to show strength and resiliency as we respond to COVID-19. We are thankful for all health care workers who are working long hours and extra shifts to provide the resources necessary to care for the community.
“We ask the community to support our health care heroes by following the three Ws — wear a mask, wait six feet apart and wash your hands frequently.”
Last week, FirstHealth revised its visitation rules due to the recent uptick in cases.
Scotland Memorial Hospital had 34 COVID-positive patients on Monday, the same as mentioned in a press release on Friday — after jumping to 37 on Saturday.
A spokesman for the system said the hospital has a total of 40 COVID-ready beds, adding that there is a surge plan in place to continue to meet the need should the numbers rise.
VACCINE APPROVED
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration last week approved a COVID-19 vaccine developed by American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and the German company BioNTech.
Media outlets reported Monday that an ICU nurse in New York was among the first in the nation to receive the vaccine.
During a press conference earlier this month, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said North Carolina is slated to receive nearly 85,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, with frontline healthcare workers slated to receive the first shots, which require two doses 21 days apart.
Atrium Health in Charlotte received a shipment of vaccines on Monday.
FirstHealth is expected to receive an allotment this week, according to Dr. Wes Cowell, administrative director of pharmacy and respiratory care for FirstHealth, and doses will be administered to employees within the first two days of receiving the shipment
“Distribution and administration of the vaccine is based on the State’s Vaccine Distribution Prioritization Framework created by expert committees within the Centers for Disease Control and refined by input by (the) North Carolina Institute of Medicine Vaccine Advisory Committee,” Colwell said. “That framework determines risk-based eligibility for the first round of vaccines. “Health care workers and first responders caring for COVID-19 patients directly, or those employees working in departments treating COVID-19 patients, are included in Phase 1a,” Colwell continued. “Phase 1b will include health care workers not included in Phase 1a who have two or more chronic health conditions. Phase 2 includes all other health care workers.”
While FirstHealth encourages eligible employees to take the vaccine, Colwell said it is not mandatory.
COVID TESTING
According to DHHS, there have been 6,016,031 completed tests for the coronavirus in the state, 441,365 (7.3%) of which have been positive. The state estimates 365,273 have recovered.
FirstHealth has completed 64,273 tests with 56,250 negative results, 7,139 positive results, and 215 results still pending.
Some individuals have been tested multiple times.
The county has also recorded 20,089 negative test results since March, with 1,909 of the 2,272 who tested positive presumed to be recovered.
The Health Department is offering free COVID testing in the lot behind the building until Dec. 31. Testing will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday — except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
There will also be free testing Dec. 14-18 at Ellerbe Middle School parking lot from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Each site is closed for lunch from noon-12:30 p.m.
Register for testing by visiting www.lhi.care and following the directions at the top or by calling 877-562-4850.
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of local cases per age group are as follows (includes recoveries):
- 0-18 – 341
- 19-30 – 375
- 31-40 – 312
- 41-50 – 392
- 51-64 – 466
- 65-older – 386
The total number of cases per ZIP code are as follows:
- Rockingham – 1229 (195 active)
- Hamlet – 660 (189 active)
- Ellerbe – 191 (21 active)
- Hoffman – 160 (7 active)
- Mount Gilead – 12 (2 active)
- Marston – 19 (4 active)
- Jackson Springs – 1 (0 active)
The total numbers (including recoveries) for surrounding counties are as follows:
- Mecklenburg – 51,896 (other counties to top 10,000 are Wake, Guilford, Forsyth, Durham, Cumberland and Gaston. All are among the state’s 10 most-populated counties.)
- Union – 9,783
- Stanly – 3,566
- Montgomery – 1,1613
- Anson – 1,119
- Moore – 3,635 (542 active, 70 deaths)
- Hoke – 2,333
- Scotland – 2,239
- Robeson – 8,358 (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.
Tyrrell County, the smallest by population, remains the only one of the state’s 100 counties to have fewer than 200 cases with 159.
The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control is reporting (as of Dec. 12) 2,004 total cases and 57 deaths in Chesterfield County and 1,671 cases and 22 deaths in Marlboro County.
