ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department on Monday reported fewer than 50 new COVID cases over the weekend and two additional COVID-related deaths.
According to the latest update, there have been 12,325 positive cases — up by 45 from Feb. 11 — reported by the Health Department since the first resident tested positive in April of 2020. More than 4,300 of those cases (35%) have been since Dec. 30.
The county’s positivity rate of 14% is slightly lower than the state’s average of 14.4%. From Jan. 14-31, the local rate was around 35% daily.
Richmond County Schools reported nine new cases Monday on its COVID Tracker: three student cases at Richmond Senior High School, two each at Cordova Middle and Richmond Early College High School and one at the Ninth Grade Academy; and one staff case at Monroe Avenue Elementary.
The latest numbers bring the school year total to 1,339 student cases and 313 staff cases.
Statewide case numbers dropped below 4,000 for the first time since before the Omicron surge, with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reporting only 3,383 on Monday.
It is not known how many recent breakthrough cases — involving those considered fully vaccinated — there have been, or how many people have tested positive more than once.
The Health Department also reported two new COVID-related deaths on Monday, bringing the total to 188. That makes 10 deaths for the month of February and 29 for 2022.
The first local death was reported the same week as the first positive cases in April of 2020.
NCDHHS reports there have been 21,781 such deaths statewide, an increase of 116 since Feb. 11.
Like positive case numbers, COVID-related hospitalizations are on the downward trend.
According to NCDHHS, there were 3,094 people with COVID hospitalized across the state on Sunday. FirstHealth reports that 56 of its 398 patients (14.1%) were COVID-positive on Monday.
The federal government last month began taking orders for at-home kits at covidtests.gov. Each family is eligible for four free kits.
Free drive-thru COVID testing, including rapid testing, is available Monday-Friday behind the Health Department from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. and the parking lot of Cole Auditorium in Hamlet from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., as well as from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturdays at both locations. Rapid testing is only available at the Health Department.
Vaccines and boosters are available for those who want them at the Health Department from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8-11 a.m. on Fridays.
Vaccines have been authorized for adults and children as young as 5 years old.
According to NCDHHS, 21,150 Richmond County residents (47%) are considered fully vaccinated and 8,692 have received booster shots.
