By Natalie Anderson
natalie.anderson@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — After a week with five COVID-19 deaths, only nine additional cases were added to the county’s data hub on Monday, with 13% of all cases currently positive.

A total of 4,042 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since March, with 523 of those cases currently active, according to the Rowan County Health Department. At least 52,089 tests have been reported, with 7.67% of those returning positive.

The county currently has a recovery rate of 84%, as 3,403 people have recovered. With 116 deaths reported since March, Rowan County remains fifth in the state for the most reported COVID-19 deaths cases per 10,000 residents. The average age among the deaths remains at 80, while the average age among positive cases is 43.8.

By contrast, Cabarrus County has reported 4,754 cases to date, but only 9% of those cases are currently active. State data show 91 deaths have been reported there.

Across the state, 261,742 people have tested positive after state officials reported an additional 1,643 cases on Monday. A total of 3.86 million tests have been conducted with 6.6% of those tests returning positive. That puts North Carolina 11th in the nation for most cases reported in the last seven days, according to the CDC’s COVID Data Tracker.

State health officials also report 231,611, or 88%, of all cases are presumed recovered as of Monday.

A total of 1,193 people are currently being hospitalized across the state, with 132 of those patients admitted within the last 24 hours. Additionally, 4,170 people have died.

State data show 929 of 2,494 ventilators are currently in use.

To date, there have been 28,784 cases and 2,154 deaths among nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional facilities throughout the state.

Rowan County currently has active outbreaks among six congregate care facilities, including Liberty Commons, the N.C. State Veterans Home, Trinity Oaks Health and Rehab, Accordius Health, Elmcroft and Piedmont Correctional Institute. All but 44 of the 116 reported deaths are among local congregate care facilities.

State data also show COVID-19 hospitalizations have disproportionately impacted Black North Carolinians as they comprise 31% of the newly admitted hospital patients reported. Three-quarters of those hospitalizations are among those aged 50-80+ years old.

A total of 17 people are currently being hospitalized in Rowan County, with 254 hospitalizations reported to date.

Zip codes 28147 and 28144 remain the areas hit hardest by COVID-19 as 1,118 and 829 cases have been reported in those areas, respectively.

Contact reporter Natalie Anderson at 704-797-4246.