ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County’s COVID death total has increased to 154.
The Richmond County Health Department announced the death in a press release late Thursday morning.
The latest death makes the third for the month of December. The Health Department also reported COVID-related deaths on Dec. 6 and 7.
According to the Health Department, the updated race and gender breakdown is as follows: 23 African American females, 27 African American males, three “other race” females, one “other race” male, two Hispanic females, three Hispanic males, two American Indian males, 48 Caucasian females and 45 Caucasian males.
All patients have been between the ages of 31 and 95: 37 have been 80 or older; 39 have been in their 70s; 41 in their 60s; 24 in their 50s; eight in their 40s; and five in their 30s.
Of the county’s deaths, 122 have been at a hospital, 25 have passed away in another healthcare facility and seven have died outside of a health setting.
Based on previous reports, the latest death appears to be that of an African American man in his 60s.
Health Director Cheryl Speight said last week that nine individuals who have died since vaccines were made available were fully vaccinated. Speight also said she was not aware of any deaths attributed to any of the three approved COVID-19 vaccines.
North Carolina has recorded a total of 19,099 COVID-related deaths — an increase of 219 from Dec. 7 — according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.
While Thursday’s daily numbers had not been released by the county at the time of this writing, there had been, as of Wednesday, an average of nearly 16 new COVID cases per day this month.
So far this week, the Health Department reported 31 on Monday (which included the prior Saturday and Sunday), 13 on Tuesday and 17 on Wednesday, bringing the monthly total to 239.
As of 1 p.m. Thursday, Richmond County Schools’ COVID Tracker indicated eight new cases.
Six of the cases involved students — two at Richmond Senior High School and one each at Fairview Heights, Mineral Springs and Washington Street Elementary schools and Richmond Early College High School — and the other two involved staff members at East Rockingham Elementary and Hamlet Middle.
There have been 422 student-related cases reported in the 15-school system since August. Richmond Senior tops the list with 91, followed by the Ninth Grade Academy with 49, Hamlet Middle with 40 and Rockingham Middle with 35. All other schools have had fewer than 30 cases.
School staff have accounted for 75 cases, including 10 at Fairview Heights, nine in Central Services and eight each at Mineral Springs and Richmond Senior.
On Wednesday, Richmond County had 153 active cases.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still has Richmond County — as well as what appears to be the entire state and most of the country — listed as having high community transmission.
Statewide daily case numbers hit their highest point in two months at 4,165. However, cases are still around 2,000 per day fewer than this time last year.
The state’s first case of the Omicron variant was reported Dec. 10 by Mecklenburg County Public Health and involved a student at UNC-Charlotte.
“The student was isolated and has recovered,” local health officials said in a statement. “Exposure was limited with only one known contact.
Hospitalizations across North Carolina have been steadily rising over the past three weeks from a recent low of 1,045 on Nov. 20 to 1,604 on Wednesday, when the Health Department reported 12.
As of Monday, FirstHealth reported 34 of its 412 patients (8.3%) were COVID-positve.
The Health Department reported Wednesday that 20,377 residents have been vaccinated, accounting for 45% of the entire population and 53% of those 12 or older.
Vaccinations were recently authorized for children as young as 5 and booster shots are now available for all vaccinated adults.
COVID vaccinations and boosters are available at the Health Department from 8 a.m. -5 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8-5, and 8-11 a.m. on Fridays with no appointment needed.
