Congregate facilities record COVID-19 deaths, county sees equal number of new cases, recoveries

Published 6:34 pm Friday, January 22, 2021

SALISBURY — As Rowan County added an equal number of new COVID-19 cases and recoveries Friday, state statistics showed several new COVID-19 deaths at congregate living facilities.

Local statistics showed 78 new cases and recoveries. That brings the total number of cases to 2,489 this year and 11,314 during the entire pandemic. There have been 6,068 recoveries, but case investigations slowed as a result of a spike in new positives at the end of 2020 and the start of this year.

The 78 recoveries on Friday was the largest number since mid-December.

Local statistics also showed more than 4,500 new tests as a result of a weekly update of negatives. The addition brings the number of tests conducted in Rowan County to 108,155 and the positive rate to 10.4% — an increase of 0.1% from the week prior.

Otherwise, there were few changes in COVID-19 statistics locally.

Numbers maintained by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, however, show several new COVID-19 deaths at local congregate care facilities. Because of the schedule on which Rowan County updates statistics, local numbers sometimes lag behind the state.

Compared to an update earlier in the week, Friday’s state report for congregate living outbreaks showed four new deaths at Big Elm Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Kannapolis and one new death at Best of Care Assisted Living in Enochville. The deaths noted in the state report are not reflected in the 231 total COVID-19 fatalities recorded by Rowan County.

The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services shows 14 active congregate living outbreaks in Rowan County. They are as follows:

• Accordius Health of Salisbury, 61 cases and nine deaths.

• Autumn Care of Salisbury, 65 cases and nine deaths.

• Big Elm Rehabilitation and Living Center, 54 cases and nine deaths.

• Big Elm Retirement and Nursing Center, five cases.

• Brightmoor Nursing Center, six cases.

• Compass Healthcare and Rehab Rowan, Two cases.

• 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, 11 cases and one death.

• Bethany Retirement Center, 47 cases and three deaths.

• Brookdale Salisbury, three cases.

• Compass Assisted Living Rowan, 36 cases and four deaths.

• Trinity Oaks Continuing Care Retirement Community, six cases.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services also says 4,172 first doses and 404 second doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in Rowan County. Of neighboring counties, only Davie and Stanly counties have administered fewer vaccinations.

Statewide, there have been 424,274 first doses and 76,293 second doses of vaccine administered.

The state on Friday also reported 7,436 newly reported cases, 705,535 total cases, 579,573 total recoveries, 3,512 people currently hospitalized and 8,464 total deaths. There have been 8.31 million completed tests in North Carolina.