ROCKINGHAM - The Richmond County Health Department on Sunday announced two COVID-related deaths.
According to a press release, both deaths occurred within the past 24 hours.
The new deaths bring the county’s total to 79 since April of 2020. There have been 26 so far this year - three this month and 23 in January. There were also 15 in October and 13 in December of 2020.
Based on previous reports, it appears one of the recent deaths occurred at a hospital, making 55 total; and the other happened at another healthcare facility, bringing that number to 20. Four residents 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, 24 Caucasian females and 22 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; eight in their 50s; and one who was 31.
It appears the two recent deaths were of a Caucasian female and male. One of the residents was 80 or older and the other was in his or her 70s.
There have been 9,983 COVID-related deaths in North Carolina as of Feb. 7, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s more than 400 since Feb. 3.
According to Johns Hopkins University, as of 1:24 p.m. Feb. 7 there have been 462,567 COVID-related deaths in the U.S. - more than 10,000 in three days - and 2,312,845 globally.
The Health Department reported 29 new cases on the afternoon of Feb. 5, with active cases dropping by three from the previous day to 475.
Statewide hospitalizations continue to steadily decrease.
DHHS reported there were 2,378 North Carolinians with the coronavirus in hospitals on Feb. 6. The previous day, there were 17 Richmond County residents hospitalized and FirstHealth reported 55 of its 376 patients (14.6%) were COVID-positive.
