SALISBURY — The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported four new COVID-19 deaths among Rowan County residents, bringing the death tally since the start of the pandemic to 391.

The death tally includes 21 reported this week. A majority of deaths reported this week occurred last week.

Rowan County remains No. 7 in the state for deaths, with only higher population counties owning a higher number of fatalities. There are more COVID-19 deaths in Rowan County than all of its neighbors, including larger population counties such as Cabarrus, Iredell and Davidson.

Vaccination percentages remained unchanged Thursday, including 50% of Rowan County residents with at least one dose and 46% fully vaccinated. For those 12 and older, the age group officially OK’d to receive vaccines, 59% of Rowan residents have at least one dose and 54% are fully vaccinated.

The number of people hospitalized in the Triad Health Care Preparedness Coalition, which contains Rowan County, dropped Thursday from 795 to 702. That’s fewer people hospitalized than one month ago.

New cases and the percent of tests returning positive are continuing to decline, too. There have been 1,302 new positives reported in the previous two weeks, which includes 67 new cases on Thursday. About 15.3% of tests on Thursday returned positive.