ROCKINGHAM — January comes to a close with COVID-19 pandemic records being set both in Richmond County and across the state.
On the last reporting day of the month, with two days left to go, the Richmond County Health Department reported 24 new positive cases of the coronavirus, bringing the monthly total to a record high of 961.
The previous monthly record was set in December with 806 cases, which was more than November and October combined.
On Jan. 7, the Health Department reported the highest one-day total of positive cases at 95 and the highest weekend total (130) was announced on Jan. 4, which included four days.
The county also had a record high number of active cases (504 on Jan. 14), hospitalizations (27 on Jan. 21), and COVID-related deaths (19, with the latest being reported Friday morning.)
North Carolina also saw daily totals peak at 11,581 on Jan. 9 and hospitalizations topped out at 3,992 on Jan. 13, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
However, all of those trends seem to be on a downward slope.
Local weekly case totals have progressively stepped down, from 320 the first week to 245 the second week, 204 the third week, and 192 this week.
During her report to the Richmond County Board of Education on Tuesday, Dr. Wendy Jordan, director of student services for Richmond County Schools, noted that the percentage of positive cases had also been falling.
Local COVID-related hospitalizations had been on the decline, with that number dropping to 17 on Thursday. However, it was back up to 21 on Friday.
FirstHealth reported 76 of its 375 (20.3%) patients were COVID-positive on Friday — up by three from the previous day — which is lower than the 29.4% reported on Jan. 18.
Statewide hospitalizations, which began a steady increase in mid-November, have been dropping, sinking to 3,048 on Thursday — the fewest since Dec. 23 when there were 3,043.
Free drive-thru COVID testing will be available behind the Health Department from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. There will also be free rapid testing at the Dobbins Heights Community Center Sunday.
Of all the tests performed on Richmond County residents, 27,327 have been negative and 3,617 have been positive.
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of local cases per age group are as follows (includes recoveries):
- 0-18 – 546 (+4)
- 19-30 – 577 (+3)
- 31-40 – 482 (+6)
- 41-50 – 615 (+4)
- 51-64 – 759 (+6)
- 65-older – 638 (+1)
