SALISBURY — COVID-19 deaths among Rowan County residents increased by four on Monday.

There have now been 418 deaths since the start of the pandemic, which includes several dozen deaths caused by the delta variant in August and September. January remains the deadliest month for COVID-19.

The deadliest day during the most recent spike in deaths appears to be Sept. 12, when six people died, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. A plurality of deaths in August and September have been people in the 65 to 74 age group.

Rowan County remains seventh among the state’s 100 counties for its number of deaths. Just ahead of Rowan is Cumberland County, with 440 COVID-19 fatalities.

In other COVID-19 data:

• The number of Rowan County COVID-19 cases reported in the previous two weeks is 877, including 34 cases reported Monday.
• The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Rowan County’s region is 601, which is down from 922 at its peak in early September.
• An estimated 43% of people who live in Rowan County are vaccinated with at least one dose. That’s down significantly from one week ago today because of a data error discovered in federal numbers.
• 39% of Rowan County residents are considered fully vaccinated.
• The percent of tests returning positive in the previous two weeks is 12.1%, which has flattened slightly after a steady decline in September.