ROCKINGHAM — More than 30 Richmond County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus and one has passed away since Tuesday’s update.
The Richmond County Health Department late Tuesday announced the 48th COVID-related death.
According to a press release, the individual passed away Tuesday and is one of 36 in a local hospital. Eight have passed away in another healthcare setting and four have died outside a healthcare setting.
So far there have been eight COVID-related deaths in December. Six deaths were reported in November and 15 in October. The county’s first death attributed to the coronavirus was announced on April 10.
The race and gender breakdown is as follows: eight African American females, six African American males, two American Indian males, 18 Caucasian females and 14 Caucasian males.
It is not known if any of the patients had underlying conditions.
All patients have been between the ages of 31 and 95: 18 have been 80 or older; 11 have been in their 70s; 14 in their 60s; four in their 50s; and one who was 31.
As of Dec. 23, there have been 6,360 COVID-related deaths in the state, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Nearly 300 of those have been since Dec. 17.
The death totals for surrounding counties, according to recent local and state statistics, are: 78 in Stanly; 77 in Moore; 58 in Chesterfield; 51 in Scotland; 46 in Montgomery; 34 in Hoke; 24 in Marlboro; and 23 in Anson.
Johns Hopkins University reports (as of 3 p.m. Dec. 23) there have been 324,674 COVID-related deaths in the U.S. and 1,725,057 globally.
HOSPITALIZATIONS
The number of North Carolina residents being treated for COVID-19 has steadily risen over the past month, setting new records almost daily.
As of Dec. 22, there were 3,043 hospitalizations statewide, according to DHHS. The Health Department reported 12 hospitalizations on Wednesday and FirstHealth reports that 91 of its 352 patients (25.9%) are COVID-positive.
CASES
On Wednesday, the Health Department reported 36 new cases, bringing the total number of active cases to 299 and a total 658 for the month of December.
The number of statewide cases rose slightly to 5,609, making 17 days this month with daily counts higher than 5,000. All but one day, Dec. 1, has had more than 4,000 cases.
The county has also recorded 21,407 negative test results since March, with 2,161 of the 2,508 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. Testing will resume Saturday.
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of local cases per age group are as follows (includes recoveries):
- 0-18 – 373 (+4)
- 19-30 – 405 (+3)
- 31-40 – 344 (+4)
- 41-50 – 438 (+5)
- 51-64 – 514 (+9)
- 65-older – 434 (+10)
The total number of cases per ZIP code are as follows:
- Rockingham – 1,364 (169 active)
- Hamlet – 726 (87 active)
- Ellerbe – 212 (25 active)
- Hoffman – 169 (13 active)
- Mount Gilead – 13 (1 active)
- Marston – 23 (4 active)
- Jackson Springs – 1 (0 active)
The total numbers (including recoveries) for surrounding counties are as follows:
- Mecklenburg – 57,755 (other counties to top 10,000 are Wake, Guilford, Forsyth, Durham, Cumberland and Gaston, Pitt, Johnston, Cabarrus, Catawba, and Union*)
- Union* – 11,146
- Stanly – 3,954
- Montgomery – 1,796
- Anson – 1,305
- Moore – 4,410 (768 active, 77 deaths)
- Hoke – 2,570
- Scotland – 2,405
- Robeson – 9,022 (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 162.
