Staff Report
news@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — Rowan County’s COVID-19 case count grew by 18 on Friday — the first day restaurants were permitted to reopen with limited restrictions since the governor shut them down for dine-in service.

A total of 597 individuals have tested positive, with 318 recoveries. Of the 597 total cases, 252 individuals are currently positive, and 10 are being hospitalized. An additional 30 patients have been tested for COVID-19 since Thursday, bringing the reported tests total to at least 3,302.

Statewide, a total of 21,618 have been laboratory-confirmed after 303,224 tests have been completed. A total of 728 individuals have died, and 568 are currently being hospitalized.

State data regarding ongoing congregate care facility outbreaks was updated on Friday and showed no changes since Tuesday. It reported that four staff members and five residents have tested positive at Liberty Commons; nine staff members and 34 veterans at the N.C. State Veterans Home on the Salisbury VA campus; 44 staff members and 113 residents at the Citadel; and one staff member and one resident at the Laurels.

The county data, however, is reporting 34 Citadel employees and 112 residents; seven Veterans Home employees and 35 residents; four employees and five residents at Liberty Commons; and one resident at the Laurels. A total of 203 individuals have tested positive at local congregate care facilities.

Of the total 27 deaths, 19 have been at the Citadel, seven at the Veterans Home and one not associated with a congregate care facility.

In other COVID-19 statistics:

• The average age for positive individuals is 51.4. Individuals age 65 and older make up the plurality of cases, at 180, and the 51-64 age group has now reached 106 cases. However, ages 36-50 and 18-35 continue to climb — at 142 and 147 cases, respectively. A total of 22 cases are among children younger than 18 years old.
• Of the positive cases, 359 individuals are white, 125 are black or African American, three are Asian, one is American Indian/Alaskan Native, 133 are Hispanic, 79 are unknown and 30 are other.
• Females still make up the majority of positive cases, at 308, while males represent 289 positive cases.
• Zip code 28147, which is where the Citadel nursing home is located, remains the area of the county with the most positive cases, at 259. Next is 28144, a Salisbury zip code, with 166 cases. Zip code 28146, which includes part of Salisbury and a large swath of eastern Rowan, currently has 63 positive cases.