SALISBURY — With new positive coming faster than recoveries, the number of active COVID-19 cases in Rowan County has set records in six of the previous 14 days.

On Monday, there were 622 active COVID-19 cases in Rowan, according to the county’s daily data hub update. That number comes after 4,508 COVID-19 cases have been reported along with 3,764 recoveries and 122 deaths. It also reflects a relatively steady increase in active cases since the end of September, according to data provided Rowan County throughout the outbreak and recorded by the Salisbury Post.

Deaths, recoveries and hospitalizations remained unchanged Monday as the number of positives increased by 37.

There have been 58,579 COVID-19 tests in Rowan County.

The number of active COVID-19 cases is higher in Rowan than most, if not all, neighboring counties. Cabarrus County had 601 active cases on Monday afternoon. Iredell County provides a case update in the afternoons and had 619 cases in its previous case update on Friday. Stanly, Davidson and Davie counties are far short of the total in Cabarrus, Iredell and Rowan.

There are currently 10 active congregate living outbreaks in Rowan County, including: Accordius Health, Brightmoor, Liberty Commons, the N.C. Veterans Home, The Laurels, Trinity Oaks Skilled Nursing, Elmcroft, Meadows of Rockwell and Piedmont Correctional Institute. Outbreaks can be considered active for a month or more and patients can recover before the outbreak has been declared over. So, the exact number of active cases in congregate living facilities is unclear. However, the Rowan County Health Department says there have been 701 total COVID-19 cases in local congregate living facilities.

Statewide on Monday, there were 294,860 total cases, 1,169 people hospitalized, 4,615 dead and 4.39 million tests completed. The state says 261,719 people have recovered.

On Monday the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services released guidance on slowing the spread of COVID-19 during Black Friday and holiday shopping

“The best way to protect loved ones during Thanksgiving is to limit travel and gatherings with anyone who does not live in your household,” said NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen. “If you do plan to get together, there are important steps you can take to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 to your family and friends.”

Those steps include getting a COVID-19 test three to four days in advance, not participate in gatherings if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or been in contact with a positive person and practice the three Ws, including wearing a mask, keeping 6 feet of distance between others and washing your hands often.

The guidance ranks risks for various activities, too. Lower risk activities include having dinner with people in your household; and watching sporting events, parades and movies from home. Moderate risks include having a small outdoor dinner with family and friends who live in your community, attending a small outdoor sports event, attending a “reverse parade” where spectators remain in their cars and visiting pumpkin patches or orchards. Higher risk activities include attending large indoor gatherings, attending traditional parades and participating in or being a spectator at a crowded race.