Lee County Government announced 105 new COVID-19 cases since Monday, bringing the total number of residents who have tested positive to 3,506.
The county’s most recent update did not include the number of cases considered active; as of Monday there were 820. The rolling seven day average for new cases was 30.57 – down from the 37.14 reported Monday – and the percent positive rate was 14.1, up from 13.5 percent on Monday. Forty four people have died in Lee County, five of them on Wednesday.
According to the county’s press release, Lee County has a “red rating” on the state’s COVID county alert system, which “indicates critical community spread of the virus in our community. ” Details about patients who have tested positive are not disclosed, but the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services COVID dashboard does provide some demographic data.
Additionally, the Lee County Health Department indicated Thursday that it was “shifting focus and resources towards COVID-19 vaccination efforts.” As such, the twice-weekly case update provided in recent months will be replaced starting Monday, Jan. 4 with a weekly update that will still include case information, “but will focus on vaccination rollout plans and updates.”