SALISBURY — COVID-19 deaths outside of congregate living facilities continued to grow on Wednesday when seven more were added to Rowan County’s total.

The county added five deaths to those reported outside of nursing homes or residential care facilities and two at Compass Assisted Living in Spencer, where there have been 35 total cases and five deaths, according to state and local statistics.

Because report dates for COVID-19 lag behind the date of death, the seven reported Wednesday occurred previously. The exact date of death was not immediately clear, but there have been deaths from COVID-19 every day in 2021, according to data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

Of the total 224 deaths from COVID-19 during the pandemic, 118 have been outside of congregate living facilities, which represents 52% of local deaths. Until last week, non-congregate deaths were the majority.

The average age of death remains 78.

The number of cases reported daily has decreased somewhat this week, with three straight days of increases in double digits. There were 68 new COVID-19 positives added Wednesday, bringing the total this year to 2,273 and the number since the start of the pandemic to 11,098. There were three new congregate living outbreaks Wednesday, bringing the total to 1,226.

The number of Rowan County residents hospitalized remained 30 on Wednesday and an additional seven people were reported recovered. There have been 103,466 COVID-19 tests conducted in Rowan County, according to local statistics. A total of 342 people have been hospitalized during the pandemic.

The average age of people testing positive has decreased slightly, from 44.2 to 44.1. The average age of people hospitalized is 65.

North Carolina reported 6,415 new positives statewide on Wednesday. There have been 8,200 deaths in the state, 690,912 total positives and 8.17 million completed tests. On Wednesday, 3,740 people were hospitalized in North Carolina.

State data show there are 12 congregate outbreaks currently considered active in Rowan County. Deaths and case numbers can vary between state and local statistics depending on the person’s official residency and whether the state has received notice of deaths.

Active outbreaks in Rowan, according to state statistics released Tuesday afternoon, are as as follows:

• Accordius Health of Salisbury, 59 cases and nine deaths

• Autumn Care, 65 cases and nine deaths.

• Big Elm Rehabilitation and Living Center, 47 cases and five deaths.

• Big Elm Retirement and Nursing Centers, two cases.

• Brightmoor Nursing Center, five cases.

Compass Assisted Living Rowan, 35 cases and three deaths.

• Trinity Oaks Health and Rehab, 171 cases and nine deaths.

• W.G. Bill Hefner VA Medical Center nursing home, 20 cases and one death.

• Best of Care Assisted Living, four cases.

• Bethamy Retirement Center, 47 cases and three deaths.

• Brookdale Salisbury, three cases.

• Trinity Oaks Continuing Care Retirement Community, six.