SALISBURY — There were major gains in tests conducted and patients recovered when Rowan County on Thursday released its daily COVID-19 update.

Data showed an increase of 27 people who have recovered from COVID-19 and 100 tests conducted — both of which are among the most significant increases the county has seen since COVID-19 made its appearance here in mid-March. The increase in testing comes as the Rowan County Health Department has made public a list of seven local testing options, available by visiting rowancountync.gov/COVID-19.

There are now 579 total cases of COVID-19 in Rowan County, with 311 people who have recovered after at least 3,272 tests conducted. The number of deaths, 27, has remained unchanged this week. The number of people hospitalized stood at eight on Thursday.

Rowan continues to have more cases than all adjacent counties; it has 150 cases more than Cabarrus County, which is the closest in case total. It also remains near the top of the state for total cases. Though recent spikes in cases in Forsyth and Robeson counties have kept it out of the top five.

On Thursday, local health officials continued to remind folks to follow the three W’s: wear a cloth face covering, wait 6 feet apart and wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer. That was in addition to reminding people to get information about the coronavirus from reliable sources.

Health officials specifically recommended using the county’s COVID-19 data hub, accessible by visiting rowancountync.gov/covid-19, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services at ncdhhs.gov and a federal website dedicated to the virus at the address coronavirus.gov.

“Conditions are continually changing and, unfortunately, incorrect or harmful information exists,” the county said in its news release.

Across the state on Thursday, there were 20,860 cases, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. There have been at least 290,645 tests, and 578 people were hospitalized Thursday.

In other COVID-19 statistics:

• 51.8 is the average age of individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19, 66 is the average age of people who have been hospitalized and 83 is the average age of those who have died after testing positive.

• 343 or 59.24% of people who have tested positive are white, 125 or 21.59% of people are black, 77 or 13.3% are unknown, 30 or 5.18% are other, 3 or 0.52% are Asian and 1 person or 0.17% are American Indian or Alaskan Native.

• 119 (20.55% of positives) have been among Rowan Countians who are Hispanic.

• Females represent 52.16% of cases. Males represent 47.84% of cases.