The two new deaths were announced at 4 p.m., bringing the cumulative total to 126 since April 2020.
According to the Department of Health, the updated race and gender breakdown looks like this: 21 African American women, 19 African American men, three “other race” women, one “other race” man, two Hispanic women, one Hispanic man, two American Indian men , 41 Caucasian women and 36 Caucasian men.
All patients were between 31 and 95 years old: 34 were 80 years or older; 32 were in their 70s; 37 in their 60s; 16 in their 50s; five in their 40s and two in their 30s.
Of the deaths in the county, 96 were in a hospital, 23 died in another health facility, and seven died outside a health facility.
According to previous reports, one death was that of an African American and the other of a Caucasian woman. Both died in a hospital; one was in his 50s, the other in his 40s.
That year, there have been 72 COVID-related deaths that year, including 13 in February and 23 in January and August. There were 15 COVID-related deaths this month in neighboring Scotland County, according to a spokesman.
Local deaths account for about 0.28% of the county’s population.
According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, there have been 14,468 COVID-related deaths nationwide – 316 since Saturday.
According to data from Johns Hopkins University at 6:35 p.m. on August 31, the US leads the world’s nations in COVID-related deaths with 639,678, followed by Brazil with 579,574.
Two hours before the obituary was announced, the health department reported 51 new positive cases.
There have been 873 new cases since July 29, making August the second highest month during the pandemic. The health department reported 806 in December 2020 and 961 from January 1st to January 29th.
Since class started last week, 45 students at Richmond County Schools have tested positive – including seven on Tuesday:
- Two each on Monroe Avenue Elementary and Cordova Middle
- One each on Washington Street Elementary and Richmond Senior High
High school had the most positive cases (11), followed by Richmond Early College High School (6) and Hamlet Middle (5).
There were also five school employees – two each at Fairview Heights and West Rockingham Elementary Schools and one on Monroe Avenue Elementary – and two Headquarters employees who tested positive.
Governor Roy Cooper signed Senate Act 654 Tuesday, which gives school districts in North Carolina partial authority to make decisions about whether to convert individual schools or classrooms to distance learning.
Cooper also signed an executive order renewing standing orders for tests and vaccinations.
“As our state’s COVID-19 metrics continue to move in the wrong direction, it’s important that we continue to do everything we can to get people tested and vaccinated,” Cooper said in a statement. “This order will help us and our cabinet authorities in their efforts to ensure the safety of employees.”
The governor also signed another order that “provides regulatory relief for the operation of commercial vehicles that provide direct assistance in support of emergency relief efforts related to COVID-19”.
DHHS reported 5,351 new cases across the state on Tuesday, making it the 17th day since August 6 with more than 5,000 cases. The daily nationwide cases were exceeded at 8,620 cases on August 26.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that all 50 states plus the territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam have high transmission rates.
The Territory of Palau has moderate transmission and the Mariana Islands and the Republic of the Marshall Islands have low community transmission. No data are available for American Samoa or the Federated States of Micronesia.
Nationwide hospital admissions related to COVID were at the third highest level (3,612) in the last month on Monday.
FirstHealth reported that 106 of its 388 patients (27%) are COVID positive. Of these:
- 21 are vaccinated, 85 are unvaccinated
- All but two of the 20 patients in the intensive care unit are unvaccinated
- All but one of the 16 ventilated patients are not vaccinated
The healthcare system’s COVID patients are from more than 13 counties in North Carolina and the surrounding states, according to an infographic.
A spokesman for the Scottish health system said Tuesday that on August 17, Scotland Memorial Hospital had the highest inpatient count in the hospital’s 75-year history, with 119 patients. On the same day, seven patients were waiting for a room in the emergency room.
The hospital is only licensed for 104, but the public health exemption allows the hospital to treat more, the spokesman said.
Of the 254 COVID hospital admissions since April, the spokesman said 241 (94.9%) of the patients were unvaccinated.
The health department reported Tuesday that 16,749 residents were vaccinated – an increase of 133 from the previous day.
According to DHHS, 60 percent of the state’s adult population is fully vaccinated.
Due to limited supplies of the Pfizer vaccine, the only one approved for children ages 12-17, Interim Health Director Cheryl Speight said the Department of Health is restricting it to the younger population and giving the Moderna vaccine to adults. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is no longer available through the Department of Health.
Vaccines are available from the health department Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Free of charge and without making an appointment.