ROCKINGHAM — A fifth Richmond County resident has now died due to complications from COVID-19, the Health Department reports.
County Health and Human Services Director Dr. Tommy Jarrell announced the death in an email Thursday morning.
Jarrell said the patient was diagnosed in April and was in a hospital outside of the county.
“Please join us in our sympathy for the family and friends of this resident of Richmond County
during this most difficult time,” he said in a press release.
This is the third coronavirus-related death in the past two weeks.
The county’s first death attributed to COVID-19 was reported on April 10; the second was on April 17; the third on May 30; and the fourth was on June 8.
As of Wednesday, there were 1,053 deaths in North Carolina and more than 115,000 across the nation.
New York has had the highest number of deaths at more than 2,400 — around twice that of neighboring New Jersey.
As of Wednesday, Richmond County has had a total of 189 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 124 recoveries.
On Tuesday, when no new cases were reported, the Health Department noted that 1,732 tests had been performed since testing began — 318 since June 2 — and 1,520 of those had returned negative.
There are currently 61 active cases, with four hospitalized and 57 in home isolation.
Of the 553,650 North Carolinans tested, 38,171 have been positive for COVID-19, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
Thursday’s totals have not yet been released.
