Lee County government on Monday announced 317 new COVID-19 cases in the last week, pushing the number of residents who have tested positive to 4,429.

It was the second consecutive week in which new cases topped 300.

The county is no longer including the number of cases that are considered active versus the number who have recovered. Forty six Lee County residents have died from COVID-19.

Details about patients are not released in accordance with federal health privacy laws, but the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Resources COVID-19 dashboard does have some demographic data. According to the dashboard, the current rolling seven day average for new cases in Lee County is 43.14 – down from 58 one week ago – and the percent positivity rate is 16.3, also down from 18.1 percent on Jan. 11.

The Health Department continues to register individuals for the COVID-19 vaccine in Group 1 and 2 of the NCDHHS vaccine rollout plan. This includes essential healthcare workers that have close contact with COVID-19 patients, long-term care facility staff and residents, and older adults aged 65 and older. For a complete description of the rollout plan include a description of the rollout phases and eligibility, visit covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines.

The Health Department has two dedicated phone lines for vaccine registration – (919) 721-4769 and (984) 368-2112. The lines are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m. Due to high call volume, individuals may need to call more than once to reach department staff that will initiate registration.