Four Lee County residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths since tracking began in March to 50.

“This is a sad day for all of us,” said Lee County Health Director Heath Cain. “The four deaths reported today bring the county total to 50 in less than one year. We offer our sincere condolences to the four families who lost their loved ones today; please join us in keeping them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. These deaths remind us that even as we begin to see decline in new cases identified, COVID-19 remains a serious illness that threatens public health and safety. Please continue to do your part to help slow the spread of this virus by staying home if you are sick and follow the three W’s – Wear, Wait, and Wash.”

The county now provides new case updates on Mondays. As of the last report, 4,429 residents had tested positive. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services COVID dashboard, that number had risen to 4,593 as of Saturday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Lee County Health Department is still registering individuals who are in groups one and two of the NCDHHS vaccine rollout plan. This includes essential healthcare workers fighting COVID-19, long-term care facility staff and residents, and adults age 65 and older. The complete NCDHHS rollout plan may be found at 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 multiple times to reach a staff member to initiate registration. The Health Department has also added a pre-registration form available online at leecountync.gov/covid19. Individuals that submit a pre-registration form AND are eligible under Group 1 and 2 of the rollout plan may expect to receive a call from the Health Department within five business days to complete the registration process and receive information about the next available vaccine clinic.