UPDATE (12:24 p.m.): A spokesperson with Central Carolina Hospital says the patient is “currently in isolation at our hospital.”
“Our hospital is prepared with the appropriate plans to detect, protect and respond,” a statement from the hospital reads. “We have been preparing for the potential of COVID-19 in our community for several weeks, building upon the robust emergency operations plan we have in place year-round. We want to reassure our communities that it is safe to come to the hospital should you or your family need care. We stand ready to serve you.”
ORIGINAL STORY: The Lee County Health Department has confirmed the county’s third case of Coronavirus, according to a press release issued Tuesday.
Like the other two confirmed cases, the county did not offer any information about the patient in accordance with federal privacy laws, other than to say the notification came from a test done by Central Carolina Hospital.
According to the press release, “the Health Department will work closely with hospital staff to monitor the individual who has tested positive and perform the contact tracing process. Individuals identified as having had close contact with the patient will be notified by healthcare professionals and provided additional guidance. Close contact is defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as an individual who has been within six feet of the patient for 10 minutes or more.”
The Health Department has so far declined to say whether or not any of the confirmed cases are considered “community spread,” which means that the source of the infection is unknown. But Lee County Spokesperson Jamie Brown told The Rant by email that “the state has been clear in confirming the presence of community spread in North Carolina.”