ROCKINGHAM — For the first time in two months, more than 25 COVID cases have been reported by the Richmond County Health Department for a single day.
Wednesday’s update showed 29 new cases — with 91 active — the most since 25 were reported on Sept. 30. The Health Department previously reported 44 on both Oct. 4 and 11, and 37 on Nov. 29, however those were all Mondays and included at least three days of test results.
The surge seems to be statewide.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported 3,039 new cases, which is more than 600 higher than last month's peak of 2,401 on Nov. 19. Daily case numbers had just reached their lowest recent point of 1,041 on Nov. 28.
Children 18 or younger have accounted for the largest increase in local cases in the past week:
Richmond County Schools’ COVID Tracker showed four new cases on Wednesday, all involving students: two at Mineral Springs Elementary; and one each at Fairview Heights Elementary and Richmond Senior High School.
Including Wednesday’s numbers, there has been an increase of 12 student-related cases since Monday, with the school-year total rising to 388.
Richmond Senior tops the 15-school district with 88 cases. There have also been 46 at the Ninth Grade Academy, 37 at Hamlet Middle, 32 at Rockingham Middle, 25 at East Rockingham Elementary, 24 at Mineral Springs, 22 at Cordova Middle and 21 at L.J. Bell Elementary. All other schools have had fewer than 20, with only two at Ashley Chapel Educational Center.
There have also been a total of 64 staff-related cases:
Ellerbe Middle is the only school with no staff-related cases.
After plateauing for three weeks, hospitalizations are again on the rise, hitting 1,157 on Nov. 30 — the most since Nov. 3.
The Health Department reported eight residents were hospitalized on Wednesday. As of Nov. 30, FirstHealth reported that 22 of its 409 patients (5.4%) were COVID-positive; however, the Sandhills-area health chain did not list the number of patients who are vaccinated.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Wednesday that the first case of the Omicron variant in the U.S. was discovered in California.
“The individual was a traveler who returned from South Africa on November 22, 2021,” federal health officials said in a press release. “The individual had mild symptoms that are improving, is self-quarantining and has been since testing positive. All close contacts have been contacted and have tested negative.”
According to the World Health Organization, the Omicron variant was first reported by South Africa on Nov. 24.
Multiple media outlets report the new variant has been discovered in 23 other countries across all inhabited continents.
The Health Department reports that 49 additional residents have been vaccinated, bringing the total to 20,062. That accounts for 45% of the county’s total population and 51.6% of the eligible population.
Vaccinations were recently authorized for children as young as 5 and booster shots are now available for all vaccinated adults.
COVID vaccinations and boosters are available at the Health Department from 8 a.m. -5 p.m. Monday-Thursday 8-5, and 8-11 a.m. on Fridays with no appointment needed.
