ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department on Friday announced the first COVID-related death and a baker’s dozen of new cases.
Just before noon, the Health Department issued a press release reporting the county’s 138th COVID-related death since April of 2020.
According to the Health Department, the updated race and gender breakdown is as follows: 21 African American females, 24 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 40 Caucasian males.
All patients have been between the ages of 31 and 95: 35 have been 80 or older; 33 have been in their 70s; 39 in their 60s; 19 in their 50s; eight in their 40s and four in their 30s.
Of the county’s deaths, 107 have been at a hospital, 24 have passed away in another healthcare facility and seven have died outside of a health setting.
Based on previous reports, the latest death was that of a Caucasian man 80 or older who died in another health setting.
There were 11 COVID-related deaths in September, 13 in February and 23 in both January and August.
North Carolina has recorded 16,605 COVID-related deaths — 664 since Sept. 22 — according to the state Department of Health and Human Services
The Health Department also reported 13 new cases on Friday — the fewest this week — and 25 on Thursday. There have been 112 cases reported this week, bringing the 7-day average to 16.
As of 4 p.m., Richmond County Schools’ COVID Tracker showed five new student cases: two at Rockingham Middle; and one each at L.J. Bell and Washington Street Elementary, Ellerbe Middle, and the Ninth Grade Academy.
So far this school year there have been 257 student-related cases all 15 schools:
- 47 – Richmond Senior High
- 33 – Hamlet Middle, Ninth Grade Academy
- 20 – East Rockingham Elementary
- 19 – Mineral Springs Elementary
- 15 – Washington Street Elementary, Cordova Middle
- 14- Rockingham Middle
- 12- Monroe Avenue Elementary, Richmond Early College High School
- 11 – Ellerbe Middle
- 10 – L.J. Bell Elementary
- 8 – Fairview Heights, West Rockingham Elementary
- 1 – Ashley Chapel Educational Center
There have also been 39 staff-related cases”
- 6 – Mineral Springs
- 4 – Washington Street, Richmond Senior, Central Office
- 3 – Cordova, Rockingham Middle; REaCH
- 2 – East Rockingham, Fairview Heights, L.J. Bell, Monroe Avenue, West Rockingham
- 1 – Hamlet Middle, NGA
The only two schools with no staff-related cases are Ellerbe Middle and Ashley Chapel.
As in Richmond County, the state, as a whole, is seeing a downward trend in new cases following a summer spike.
NCDHHS reported 4,963 new cases on Friday. While that number is nearly twice as many as the 2,665 reported on Sept. 27, the decrease is still evident, as every day this week has had fewer than 5,000 new cases.
The state health agency announced that it will start including re-infections — those who test positive for COVID-19 at least 90 days after previously having it — on Oct. 4.
Statewide hospitalizations also continue to drop, with 2,882 reported for Sept. 30. The past two days are the first time in more than a month that hospitalizations have been lower than 3,000.
FirstHealth reported Friday that 46 of its 386 patients (12%) are COVID-positive. Of those, seven (15%) are vaccinated and the remaining 39 are unvaccinated. Also, all but one of the eight ICU patients are unvaccinated, as are all but one of the four on a ventilator.
As of Friday, 18,334 county residents have been vaccinated, according to the Health Department, which has a goal of 66%.
Testing is available Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-6 p.m at the Health Department and a secondary site opened Wednesday at Cole Auditorium on the campus of Richmond Community College and will 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.
