By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — An additional 29 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Rowan County, but recoveries continue to rise.

The increase brings the total number of cases to 2,081 and the number of currently positive cases to 300. Recoveries improved by 16 on Tuesday and are now at 1,731.

Deaths remained at 50, with all but 13 from local congregate care facilities. The number of cases at congregate care facilities remains 246.

A total of 21,107 tests have been reported to the county as of Tuesday, but that number doesn’t include the most up-to-date number of negative test results, which is updated every Thursday. The average age of residents who have tested positive is currently at 42, with a plurality of cases among those aged 18-35, at 654.

Currently, 25 people are being hospitalized in the county.

Across the state, 128,161 cases have been reported after 1.85 million completed tests. A total of 1,166 people are currently hospitalized, while 2,010 people have died.

In other statistics:

• Residents aged 36-50 comprise the next highest amount of positive cases, at 506. Those aged 51-64 comprise 384 cases, while those older than 65 make up 317 cases. Cases among children continue to rise and are currently at 220.
• COVID-19 continues to disproportionately affect Hispanic residents as they comprise 28.45% of all cases despite making up less than 10% of the county’s population. White residents comprise 1,114 cases, along with 279 Black residents, nine American Indian/Alaskan Native residents, five Asian residents and one Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. A total of 299 cases are considered “other,” and 374 are unknown.
• Women comprise the majority of COVID-19 cases at 1,069, while men comprise the remaining 1,012 cases.
• COVID-19 has impacted the zip code 28147 the most with 635 cases, followed by 437 cases in zip code 28144 and 336 cases in 28146.

Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246.