ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department on Wednesday announced that another resident has died from complications associated with COVID-19.
The latest death brings the overall total to 136. It is also the second recorded this week and the 10th for the month of September.
According to the Health Department, the updated race and gender breakdown is as follows: 21 African American females, 23 African American males, three “other race” females, one “other race” male, two Hispanic females, two Hispanic males, two American Indian males, 43 Caucasian females and 39 Caucasian males.
All patients have been between the ages of 31 and 95: 34 have been 80 or older; 33 have been in their 70s; 38 in their 60s; 19 in their 50s; eight in their 40s and four in their 30s.
Of the county’s deaths, 106 have been at a hospital, 23 have passed away in another healthcare facility and seven have died outside of a health setting.
Based on previous reports, the latest death is that of a Caucasian woman in her 30s who died at a hospital.
North Carolina has recorded 15,941 COVID-related deaths — 326 since Sept. 17 — according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Also on Wednesday, the Health Department reported 27 new positive cases of COVID-19.
As of 3:45 p.m., Richmond County Schools’ COVID Tracker showed four new student cases for the day: two at Richmond Senior High; and one each at Monroe Avenue and Washington Street Elementary.
There was also one new staff-related case, the first for Hamlet Middle — which has the second-highest number of student cases (31) in the district for this school year. Richmond Senior leads the 15-school system with 45.
Those numbers are updated throughout the day and could change by evening.
Children account for more cases and a higher rate than the other age groups, according to the Health Department. The latest numbers among age groups are:
- 0-18 – 1,330 (+146)
- 19-30 – 1,113 (+55)
- 31-40 – 1,025 (+71)
- 41-50 – 1,124 (+62)
- 51-64 – 1,220 (+47)
- 65-up – 955 (+40)
(+= increase from Sept. 9.)
NCDHHS reported 6,288 new cases on Wednesday — nearly 2,000 more than the previous day.
Statewide hospitalizations have been slowly decreasing over the past few weeks, dropping to 3,400 on Tuesday, which is the lowest number since Aug. 22.
According to the Health Department, 15 county residents are currently hospitalized.
FirstHealth’s patient census has dropped to 66 of 385 (17%) being COVID-positive. Of those, 11 are vaccinated — as are two of the 14 COVID patients in ICU. However, all six COVID patients on a ventilator are unvaccinated, according to an infographic.
The Health Department reports that 17,860 county residents are fully vaccinated accounting for 47% of the eligible population of those aged 12 years and older.
Multiple media outlets reported earlier this week that Pfizer is planning to submit for emergency use authorization of its vaccine for children as young as 5.
Testing is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m at the Health Department and a secondary site will open at Cole Auditorium on the campus of Richmond Community College Sept. 29 and run from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Both the vaccines manufactured by Pfizer and Moderna are available through the Health Department, where they are available Monday-Thursday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Fridays from 8-11 a.m. There is no charge and no appointment necessary.
