SALISBURY — COVID-19 didn’t produce 70 deaths in Rowan County until five months into the pandemic, but local statistics show more than 70 deaths last month.

The county in January reported deaths at a rate of more than two per day, with some days bringing several at once. The 74 deaths reported in January reflect nearly a third of all deaths reported during the pandemic and would make last month the deadliest yet.

The average age of the dead in Rowan County is 78.

While nursing homes and other congregate living facilities were an early epicenter for local deaths, January brought a rise in fatalities in the community at large. As of Sunday, local statistics showed non-congregate deaths at 136 and fatalities in nursing homes or congregate living facilities at 78.

Report dates lag behind dates of death. But dates of COVID-19 fatalities in data maintained by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services also show January to be a particularly deadly month.

COVID-19 fatalities occurred most days in January, with at least one occurring every day until Jan. 20, according to state numbers.

January also brought Rowan County the closest it’s been to hospitals reaching capacity, with 101 of 115 COVID-19 beds in use two weeks ago. Local hospitals have since allocated more beds for COVID-19 patients. Surge plans are in place if one facility in a hospital system reaches capacity.

The number of Rowan County residents hospitalized since the start of the pandemic is 342.

It wasn’t just deaths or hospital beds that brought new, grim records last month. COVID-19 positives also rose at their fastest rate in January, according to local statistics.

The Rowan County Health Department reported 3,468 new positives last month — about 28% of the total since the start of the pandemic. There was an average of 112 positives reported per day in January.

In December, meanwhile, there were 3,143 cases reported — an average of 101 per day.

A major, unexplained discrepancy continues to exist between local and state statistics, with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services showing hundreds more positives than local numbers. County health officials said last week they did not have an answer for the discrepancy.

On Sunday, the state showed 12,997 positives in Rowan since the start of the pandemic. The county counted 12,293 positives. Both state and local numbers show Rowan with 246 deaths.

Besides the addition of 97 new COVID-19 positives on Sunday, there were no major changes in Rowan County’s daily update. The number of people officially counted as recovered is 6,604.

The state of North Carolina on Sunday reported 4,899 new positives, 757,526 total positives, 2,782 people currently hospitalized, 9,335 deaths and 8.86 million completed tests.

View Rowan County’s data hub for COVID-19 statistics at: covid-19-rowancountync.hub.arcgis.com

State numbers are available at: covid19.ncdhhs.gov