By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — For about a month, Rowan County has seen daily double-digit increases in total COVID-19 cases. But the number of active cases is dropping and recoveries continue to increase.

An additional 23 people tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday, for a total of 1,663 cases. Friday marks the third day in a row the number of currently positive cases dropped. It’s now at 248. Additionally, 102 people have recovered since Wednesday, for a total of 1,370 recoveries.

The numbers come even as the county saw its second-highest increase in cases on Tuesday when an additional 52 people tested positive.

Hospitalizations remained at 11. Deaths stayed at 45. A total of 21 people have died from the Citadel, along with 15 at the N.C. State Veterans Home, one death at Liberty Commons and eight not associated with a congregate care facility. The total number of positive cases at congregate living facilities remained at 231 on Friday. A total of 9,186 cases have been reported to the county.

The number of beds being used for COVID-19 patients, however, jumped from 10 to 46 on Friday. County spokesperson TJ Brown said that data is usually updated once a week, and is reported from Novant Health Rowan Medical Center and the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center.

While hospitalizations are reported each day, the number of beds being used is updated weekly to gauge capacity, Brown said. The Salisbury VA often accepts veterans from other counties that don’t have VA systems, but they aren’t included in the county’s daily report of hospitalizations.

Across the state, a total of 95,477 people have tested positive after 1.34 million completed tests, for a statewide rate of 8%. A total of 1,180 people are currently being hospitalized and 1,606 people have died across the state.

COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect Hispanic residents of Rowan County. Despite making up about 9% of the county’s population, they account for 30.43% of all positive cases, at 506.

A total of 932 white residents have tested positive for COVID-19 along with 211 Black residents, five American Indian/Alaskan Native residents, five Asian residents and one Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. A total of 284 are considered unknown and 225 are considered “other.”

The average age among cases continues to drop and is now at 42.3, with most cases among those aged 18-35 — 527. Those aged 36-50 comprise 413 cases, while there are 285 cases among the 51-64 age group, 271 among those older than 65, and 167 for children younger than 18.

Men comprise the majority of cases at 835, while 828 cases have been among women.

A plurality of cases have been in zip code 28147, and are now up to 553. Zip code 28144 has had 369 cases, and 28146 has had 244 cases.

Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246.