Lee County’s number of confirmed COVID cases jumped by 65 since last Monday, bringing the total number of residents who have tested positive to 1,640, according to a press release.
Additionally, a 15th resident was reported to have died Monday due to complications from the disease. Details about the patient, who died at Central Carolina Hospital, were not released in accordance with federal health privacy laws.
“We offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of this individual and ask the community to keep them in your thoughts and prayers,” said Lee County Health Director Heath Cain. “This highly contagious virus remains a serious risk to public health and safety and we encourage the public to continue following guidance that includes wearing a mask in public, watching your distance to remain 6 feet or more away from others, and washing hands thoroughly and frequently.”
The 65 new cases between Sept. 21 and 28 represent an increase from totals confirmed in recent weeks. New cases had been in the 40s for the previous two weeks.
Meanwhile, the number of active cases – patients who have yet to recover – jumped to 114. That total was at 87 on Sept. 21. The rolling seven day average for new cases is 8.43 – up from 5.6 last week – and the test positivity rate is at four percent, down from 6.2 percent last week.
Some demographic data about cases is available at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services COVID dashboard.
The Health Department will hold community testing events at 106 Hillcrest Drive every Tuesday through October from 9 to 11 a.m. by appointment only. To make an appointment, call (984) 368-2112 Monday through Friday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. or 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. PM.
There will also be a drive-thru community testing event taking place on October 3 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at W.B. Wicker Elementary School, 806 S. Vance St. The public is strongly encouraged to pre-register by calling (919) 542-4991, ext. 1015 for English and ext. 1016 for Spanish between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
I’m sure cases are going up. People do not comply with the masks order, heck they can’t even follow directions in the grocery store aisle. I suppose they will take it seriously when someone they care about contracts it.
You are so correct. These store cashiers have to wear a mask all day long to protect others and people will not wear one for just a short time to protect them and others. So unbelievably selfish. No one wants to wear a mask.. it’s the right thing to do.
There is too much emphasis on mask wearing. The masks do reduce the viral load but not the transmission of the virus. However that might be just enough to protect someone else that has a low immune defense; so wear the mask. However the social distancing is just as important because according to biological wisdom viruses cannot survive without a host, and personal hygiene is always important…pandemic or not.
The CDC has been irresponsible in getting the message out about the proper wearing of masks. There is proper ways of donning a mask. Why in the last 6 months has there been no PSA broadcasts? The Dept. of Health has been careless.
The best thing anyone of us can do is avoid going out in public. You increase your chances of getting COVID-19 the more you go shopping, dine at restaurants, and unfortunately when you visit a doctors office…think about it…this is where the highest concentration of sick people are. This combined with small waiting rooms is detrimental to those patients health. The ventilation systems in these offices are inadequate and just spread whatever germs present, everywhere.
This year it will be important to get a flu shot. It takes, as a rule seven days to recover from the flu. During that time you are vulnerable to other illnesses. Stay healthy.