By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — For the second day in a row, fewer than 10 cases of COVID-19 were reported to the county after a nearly month-long trend of double-digit increases in cases.

Throughout the previous week, recoveries rose and the number of currently positive cases declined. Of the 1,678 cases reported on Sunday, an increase of six from Saturday, 262 are currently positive. Recoveries remained at 1,371 on Sunday.

Hospitalizations remained at 11 on Sunday, and 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 Sunday. A total of 9,325 tests have been reported to the county.

Hospitalizations across the state improved for the second day in a row as well. Hospitalizations in the state decreased by 39 on Sunday and 26 on Saturday and are now at 1,115. Across the state, a total of 99,778 people have tested positive after 1.39 million completed tests, for a statewide rate of 9%. A total of 1,634 people have died across the state.

Rowan County officials said the county is following the state’s goal of increasing the testing of people who may not currently have symptoms, but may have been exposed to COVID-19. Residents can be tested this week at the following locations:

West End Plaza
1935 W. Jake Alexander Boulevard
Monday, July 20 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Testing is free and open to the public.

Northern Rowan Family Medicine
313 N Salisbury Avenue, Spencer
Tuesday, July 21 from 8:30–11:30 a.m.

Rowan County Health Department
1811 E. Innes Street
Wednesday, July 22 from 8:30–11 a.m.
Friday, July 24 from 8:30–11:30 a.m.
Testing is free and open to the public.

Novant Health Rowan
1904 Jake Alexander Boulevard
Call 704-210-7845 for an appointment.
Testing criteria may apply.

Novant Health Rowan Screening Center
315 Mocksville Avenue
Tuesday, July 21 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Thursday July 23 from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Testing criteria may apply/
Patients are tested without leaving their vehicle.

Testing locations, dates and times are updated weekly on the Rowan County COVID-19 Testing Information webpage.

COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect Hispanic residents of Rowan County. Despite making up about 9% of the county’s population, they account for 30.15% of all positive cases, at 506.

A total of 936 white residents have tested positive for COVID-19 along with 214 Black residents, five American Indian/Alaskan Native residents, five Asian residents and one Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. A total of 292 are considered unknown and 225 are considered “other.”

The average age among cases is at 42.3, with most cases among those aged 18-35 — 532. Those aged 36-50 comprise 418 cases, while there are 287 cases among the 51-64 age group, 272 among those older than 65, and 169 for children younger than 18.

Men and women now evenly split the total of COVID-19 cases, for a total of 839 cases each.

A plurality of cases have been in zip code 28147, and are now up to 554. Zip code 28144 has had 375 cases, and 28146 has had 246 cases.

Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246.