New COVID-19 positives in Rowan at lowest point since start of pandemic
Published 12:43 pm Wednesday, June 23, 2021
- Pool photo by Julia Wall / News & Observer - External auditor Zachary Giles, middle, and information security manager Jorge Alfonso, right, stand next to lottery drawing machines Wednesday as they await the start of the NC DHHS $1 million vaccine Summer Drawings and Summer Cash 4 College lottery drawings at the NC Education Lottery building in Raleigh. The pair used the computers to randomly draw numbers, including alternates, for the $1 million prize as well as a scholarship for those 12-17 years old. State officials aren't expected to announce names of the winners for several days because they'll need to contact the winner and verify that he or she is eligible, willing to accept the prize and let his or her name be publicized.
SALISBURY — New COVID-19 cases in Rowan County are occurring at roughly the same rate now as at the start of the pandemic in spring 2020.
Helped by vaccinations, decreased testing numbers and other factors, 89 is the number of new positive tests in Rowan in the previous two weeks. That’s far lower than about the same time last year, when there were more than 250 positives in a two-week period, and about the same as late March and early April 2020, when the first cases appeared.
Data from March 30 to April 12, 2020, shows 82 cases. Other 14-day periods after that produce higher case totals than the current average.
The number of new positives reported Wednesday were just six. State data says 3.7% of tests in Rowan County came back positive, which is higher than the state average.
While continuing to make progress, Rowan County’s vaccination numbers also fall below the state average.
N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and Salisbury VA data on Wednesday showed 46,896 Rowan County residents completely vaccinated. That’s roughly equal to the combined populations of Salisbury, China Grove, Spencer, Granite Quarry and Landis.
A higher number of Rowan County residents, nearly 50,000, are partially vaccinated.
While Rowan’s partial vaccination number represents about 35% of total local residents, the state average is 45%. About 53.5% of Americans are vaccinated.
Hospitalizations across the state are below 500. In Rowan County’s region, the Triad Health Care Preparedness Coalition, there were fewer than 100 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported Wednesday.
No new COVID-19 deaths were reported Wednesday. Rowan’s COVID-19 death total is 310 — a decrease of one after a previous death was moved to another county.
Active COVID-19 clusters and congregate living outbreaks are as follows:
• Five cases among children at North Rowan High School.
• Three cases among staff at Brightmoor Nursing Center.
About 13,400 North Carolinians have died from COVID-19.