ROCKINGHAM — Richmond County broke 1,900 cases on Wednesday with the highest one-day total since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The Richmond County Health Department reported 51 new coronavirus cases, only one fewer than the three-day total from mid-November.
The number of active cases (184) is the fourth-highest the county has seen, with the record high of 193 being set on Nov. 20. Of those, 176 are under home isolation and eight are in a hospital.
Richmond County Schools reported three new positive cases on Wednesday: one staff member each at Ellerbe Middle and the Ninth Grade Academy; and one virtual student at Richmond Senior High.
That makes 11 school-related cases this week: five staff members; three virtual students; and three traditional students.
Statewide hospitalizations also hit a new high Tuesday of 2,039 patients being treated, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. Those numbers have been on the rise since mid-November after remaining relatively stagnant through October.
FirstHealth reported on Tuesday that 46 of its 365 patients (12.6%) are being treated for COVID-19.
DHHS reports there have been a total of 5,355,690 tests completed in the state, with 371,594 positive cases. The number of new cases on Wednesday was 4,199 — almost as many as the previous two days combined and the fourth-highest one-day total.
Of the 58,510 tests completed by FirstHealth: 6,179 have been positive; 51,227 have been negative; and 484 results are still pending.
Richmond County has had 17,824 negative test results, 1,924 positive results, and 1,700 recoveries.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said North Carolina is slated to receive nearly 85,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer, if and when it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Healthcare workers and janitorial staff on the “front lines” will be the first to receive the vaccines, which require two doses 21 days apart.
Meanwhile, Gov. Roy Cooper called on community leaders to help “set an example” in the fight to stop the spread of the virus.
And to people of faith, Cooper said, “Wearing a mask is one of the best things you can do” to show you care about others.
Cohen suggested residents limit their social circles and purchase take-out meals instead of dining in restaurants to help lessen possible exposure.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday suggested that local health departments could reduce quarantine times.
According to the CDC:
“The recommendation for a 14-day quarantine was based on estimates of the upper bounds of the COVID-19 incubation period. …
Quarantine is intended to reduce the risk that infected persons might unknowingly transmit infection to others. It also ensures that persons who become symptomatic or are otherwise diagnosed during quarantine can be rapidly brought to care and evaluated. However, a 14-day quarantine can impose personal burdens that may affect physical and mental health as well as cause economic hardship that may reduce compliance. Implementing quarantines can also pose additional burdens on public health systems and communities, especially during periods when new infections, and consequently the number of contacts needing to quarantine, are rapidly rising. Lastly, the prospect of quarantine may dissuade recently diagnosed persons from naming contacts and may dissuade contacts from responding to contact tracer outreach if they perceive the length of quarantine as onerous. …
… Reducing the length of quarantine will reduce the burden and may increase community compliance …”
CDC officials say quarantine “can end after Day 10 without testing and if no symptoms have been reported during daily monitoring,” or “after Day 7 if a diagnostic specimen tests negative and if no symptoms were reported during daily monitoring.”
Free testing COVID in the parking lot behind the Human Services Complex on Caroline Street has been extended until Dec. 31. Testing will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Register for testing by visiting www.lhi.care and following the directions at the top or by calling 877-562-4850.
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of local cases per age group are as follows (includes recoveries):
- 0-18 – 292 (+6)
- 19-30 – 325 (+9)
- 31-40 – 253 (+7)
- 41-50 – 341 (+8)
- 50-64 – 396 (+11)
- 65-older – 317 (+10)
( + indicates the increase in cases per age group from the previous report.)
The total number of cases per ZIP code are as follows:
- Rockingham – 1016 (93 active)
- Hamlet – 559 (66 active)
- Ellerbe – 170 (19 active)
- Hoffman – 152 (3 active)
- Mount Gilead – 10 (0 active)
- Marston – 16 (3 active)
- Jackson Springs – 1 (0 active)
Around 70% of the state’s counties have now experienced more than 1,000 total cases.
Only three counties have had fewer than 200 cases, and they are all in the northeast corner of the state: Tyrrell (1401), Camden (189), and Hyde (186). Gates County, which was previously among that group, now has had 220 cases. All four are among the state’s 10 least-populated counties.
The total numbers (including recoveries) for surrounding counties are as follows:
- Mecklenburg – 44,428 (other counties to top 10,000 are Wake, Guilford, Forsyth and Durham. All are among the state’s six most-populated counties.)
- Union – 8,092
- Stanly – 3,046
- Montgomery – 1,425
- Anson – 953
- Moore – 3,015 (331 active, 66 deaths)
- Hoke – 1,997
- Scotland – 2,001
- Robeson – 7,484 (more than higher-populated counties New Hanover and Buncombe)
All numbers are from DHHS except Moore, which are from the local health department, as there has been a discrepancy with the state.
Robeson, Hoke and Montgomery counties are among those listed as having critical community spread by DHHS.
Although South Carolina has seen a recent rise in cases as well, the Palmetto State seems to have peaked in July, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.
SCDHEC is reporting (as of Nov. 30) 1,783 total cases and 54 deaths in Chesterfield County and 1,448 cases and 18 deaths in Marlboro County.
