ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County’s COVID-related death toll rose above 80 Thursday with the announcement of more deaths.
According to the Richmond County Health Department, two more residents have died from complications with the coronavirus within the past 24 hours.
This brings the county’s total number of COVID-related deaths to 81 since the first was reported in April 2020. There have been 28 so far this year— five this month and 23 in January. There were also 15 in October and 13 in December of 2020.
Judging from previous reports, it appears both residents passed away while at a health care facility, as the number of deaths at that location has risen from 20 to 22. Fifty-five people have died in a hospital and four have passed away outside of a health setting.
The race and gender breakdown is as follows: 15 African American females, 12 African American males, two “other race” females, one “other race,” male, one Hispanic female, two American Indian males, 25 Caucasian females and 23 Caucasian males.
All patients have been between the ages of 31 and 95: 22 have been 80 or older; 24 have been in their 70s; 24 in their 60s; 10 in their 50s; and one who was 31.
It appears one of the deaths was that of a Caucasian female and the other a Caucasian male, both in their 50s.
There have been 10,294 COVID-related deaths in North Carolina, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. The state topped the 10,000 mark on Feb. 9.
According to Johns Hopkins University, as of noon. Feb. 11, the U.S. leads the world’s nations in COVID-related deaths with 471,956 — more than twice the number of deaths in Brazil, which is second with 234,850. There have been 2,358,085 worldwide.
