SALISBURY — Local statistics on Thursday showed three more COVID-19 deaths, a triple-digit increase in positives and one of the largest increases in recoveries yet.

The three new deaths all occurred outside of nursing homes or residential care facilities, bringing the non-congregate death total to 133 of the 241 reported since the start of the pandemic.

Rowan County has reported 69 COVID-19 deaths since the start of the new year. While exact dates of deaths reported Thursday are not clear, data maintained by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services continue to show deaths occurring in greater intervals and more frequently than in 2020.

The average age of COVID-19 fatalities in Rowan county remains 78.

Positive tests on Thursday increased by 131, but the number of cases considered active decreased because of 152 newly reported recoveries. The number of recoveries reported Thursday is among the highest since the pandemic started.

There have now been 3,151 positives reported this year and 11,976 since the start of the pandemic. The number of recoveries is 6,428. Total tests conducted are 112,513, which reflects the weekly addition of thousands of negative tests.

Rowan County on Thursday also updated hospital resource usage numbers. There were no major changes, with 101 of 115 beds allocated for COVID-19 and seven of 61 ventilators in use.

Statewide, there were 6,490 positives reported Thursday, bringing the total in North Carolina since the start of the pandemic to 739,500. There have been 9,046 deaths. A total of 3,238 people were being hospitalized in the state on Thursday.