ROCKINGHAM — After a day with no new positive cases of COVID-19, the Richmond County Health Department reported six on Thursday.
The new cases bring the county’s total up to 158 since the first was reported April 7.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 162, but it is likely there were a few patients who were attributed to Richmond County who were not residents, as has been the case in the past.
Out of the county’s total, 89 are currently active, with 69 patients having recovered — 11 more since Tuesday — according to a graphic posted to Facebook.
Four patients are currently hospitalized and 83 are under home isolation.
Three of the new cases are children 18 years old or younger, an increase of three from Tuesday, the last day to have new cases reported.
Among the total number of cases (recoveries included), there have been 25 aged 19-30; 18 aged 31-40; 31 aged 41-50; 41 aged 51-64; and 25 aged 65 or older.
A map of cases by ZIP code wasn’t included in Thursday’s update.
As of May 26, there had been 1,240 Richmond County residents tested — 218 since May 19 — and 962 of those had negative results. By Thursday, the number of negative tests had risen to 1,030.
The Health Department releases the total number of tests performed each Tuesday.
Statewide, there have been 375,192 tests completed with 25,412 patients testing positive and 708 of those currently hospitalized, according to DHHS.
DHHS announced the largest one-day increase in cases on May 23 with 1,107 cases reported.
“This is a notable and concerning increase,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen. “When it comes to our health, we need to work together to protect our families, friends and neighbors.”
State epidemiologists are analyzing the data to determine if there were any significant contributing factors, according to a press release.
The deaths of 827 North Carolinans have been attributed to the coronavirus, including two from Richmond County.
Forsyth County has joined Guilford, Durham, Wake, Wayne and Mecklenburg as those counties with more than 1,000 cases.
Mecklenburg leads the state with 3,605 total cases. It is also the state’s most populated county. Following are Wake with 1,564; Durham with 1,411; Guilford with 1,137; Forsyth with 1,081; and Wayne with 1,054.
While the state is catching up, it is still underreporting the number of cases in Moore County as compared to those released by the county health department.
That county has 220, according to local officials, but only 174 by state records.
The total numbers (including recoveries) for other surrounding counties are as follows:
Union – 417
Anson – 63
Stanly – 55
Montgomery – 104
Hoke – 222
Scotland – 78
Robeson – 713
As of May 25, DHHS estimates that 14,954 patients in the Tar Heel State have recovered.
The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control last updated its numbers on May 24, reporting 151 cases in Chesterfield County and 137 in Marlboro County.
Health officials in the Palmetto State estimate there could be hundreds of more people in those counties who are infected but have not yet been tested.
