SALISBURY — New COVID-19 cases continue to trend downward from a peak on Jan. 10.

N.C. Department of Health and Human Services data show 655 tests conducted on Jan. 10 later returned positive — the highest number for a single day since the start of the pandemic. But case reports have been progressively lower since then.

In the previous two weeks, state data show 3,406 cases reported among Rowan County residents. That’s a notable decline in the same metric from one week ago, when the two-week case total was 4,800.

Similarly, the number of daily cases reported across North Carolina declined from 44,833 on Jan. 13 to 14,966 on Thursday. Statewide and in Rowan County, however, cases have not declined to pre-omicron levels in early or mid-December.

The percent of tests returning positive has not declined in the same way as cases. Statewide numbers show a decline from an average of 34% in mid-January to about 26% currently. Rowan County numbers, meanwhile, continue to hover around 37%.

Hospitalizations are trending downward from a statewide peak of 5,206 last week to 4,556 on Thursday as well as a regional peak of 1,156 on Jan. 24 to 969 on Thursday.

State data show 37 Rowan County residents have died after testing positive for COVID-19 in 2022; 537 county residents have died since the start of the pandemic.

Vaccination numbers in Rowan County are as follows:

• 65,958 local residents (46%) with one dose.

• 61,054 local residents (43%) fully vaccinated.

• 24,064 with a booster shot.