ROCKINGHAM — An additional eight lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus have been added to Richmond County’s total.
The Health Department announced Thursday that there are now 30 cases.
The ages of the lastest patients are 35, 47, 44 and 43, according to a chart included with a press release.
“Of the 30 confirmed cases, two are deceased, one is hospitalized and 27 are under home isolation,” Health Director Dr. Tommy Jarrell said. “Four of the 30 laboratory confirmed cases in Richmond County are connected to the Pinehurst Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Pinehurst … Seven cases are believed to be work related with employers outside of Richmond County. The remaining cases are believed to be community spread.”
Jarrell did offer some good news: six patients have recovered.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services only reported 28 cases for Richmond in its numbers on Thursday, updated at 11 a.m.
The total number of positive cases across the state is listed as 7,608, nearly 400 more than Wednesday.
The state has yet to update Moore County’s case total. On Thursday, the state still listed the count at 67 while Moore County health officials in a Monday press release said there were 95. DHHS also only shows two deaths in that county, although the aforementioned press release announced the fifth and sixth deaths attributed to COVID-19.
Mecklenburg, the state’s most populated county, has 1,362 confirmed cases and 33 coronavirus-attributed deaths.
Allegheny and Macon counties in the mountains and Currituck County on the coast have the fewest number of cases with two each.
Seven counties — Camden, Hyde, Avery, Graham, Swain, Madison and Yancey — remain caseless.
The Richmond County testing site has been moved from the old Sandhills Regional Hospital to the outpatient parking lot of FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond in Rockingham. There is also a site in West End.
Those wishing to be tested should be referred by their primary healthcare provider, Health Department, or by calling the COVID-19 hotline at 910-417-4947.
While health officials continue to encourage residents to stay home as much as possible and use social distancing, there is still no curfew in Richmond County and no documentation is needed to travel on local roads.
