Fifty-nine men and women in Lee County have died from COVID-19 complications, the most recent reported on Wednesday. The individual — no name or age was released — was hospitalized at Central Carolina Hospital at the time of their death.

The victim is the 15th to die of COVID-19 in Lee County since Jan. 1. Currently, there are five people hospitalized at CCH battling the virus.

Nearly 4,000 people (3,843) in the United States died of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

The county is encouraging citizens to wear a mask when in public settings and to maintain social distancing.

 The Health Department is currently registering individuals for the COVID-19 vaccine in Group 1 and Group 2 of the NCDHHS vaccine rollout plan that was updated on Jan. 14. This includes essential health care 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.

To register for the vaccine with the Lee County Health Department, call (919) 352-3360 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..  The two phone numbers previously used for registrations will be reassigned; phone calls to these numbers will be directed to call (919) 352-3360.

Due to high call volume, you 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.

For additional information about COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, call the Lee County Health Department at (919) 718-4640.