SALISBURY — Rowan County on Thursday recorded its 314th death from COVID-19, according to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Data.

NCDHHS data showed the death was one of just three that occurred in the state on Thursday. More specific information wasn’t available, but Rowan County Health Director Alyssa Harris said the last several COVID-19 deaths have occurred among unvaccinated people.

Atrium Health says nearly 99% of its COVID-19 hospital admissions last week were unvaccinated patients. State officials say more than 99% of new COVID-19 cases are among people who have not been vaccinated.

Harris said juxtaposing deaths and hospitalizations with vaccinations isn’t meant to scare people, but it’s important to avoid preventable deaths when possible. Harris said she’s worried about the increased transmissibility of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which was first identified in India in December and has spread throughout the world, because Rowan Countians tend to have more health concerns than the average North Carolinian.

“Where I come from as the health director is for people to be healthy,” she said.

The 2021 County Health Rankings for North Carolina showed Rowan ranks 60 of 100 in health outcomes, a number produced by statistics such as worse-than-average rates of premature death, physical activity, smoking, obesity, teen births and preventable hospital stays.

“So, I’m worried about the potential for more severe illness here,” she said.

The county has found itself in a below-average spot for COVID-19 statistics throughout the pandemic, too. With just 35.3% of its population vaccinated with at least one dose, Rowan is one spot outside of the worst 10 counties for vaccinations and within the worst 10 counties for COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

All of Rowan County’s neighbors have a lower COVID-19 death total. With the exception of Stanly County, all of Rowan’s neighbors have a higher portion of its population vaccinated.

To help the vaccination rate for people associated with public schools, the Rowan County Health Department will have three public vaccination clinics. Dates and times are as follows:

• Friday from noon to 3 p.m. at East Rowan High School, 175 St. Lukes Church Road, Salisbury.

• Aug 3 from noon to 3 p.m. at West Rowan Elementary School, 480 Mimosa St., Cleveland.

• Aug. 5 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wallace Educational Forum, 500 North Main St., Salisbury.

The vaccination clinics are open to anyone, but the Rowan Health Department says it’s hoping to make progress among local students and teachers because the start of classes is less than one month away. All three clinics will offer the Pfizer vaccine, which requires two doses and is OK for anyone 12 and older.

Vaccinations are also offered at locations across the county, including a Novant clinic stationed at the J.F. Hurley YMCA, chain and locally owned pharmacies, grocery stores and provider offices, including the Health Department.

As worries rise about the Delta variant across the country, cases are following suit in Rowan County, where 115 of the 182 cases have come in the previous week, Harris said. The county has seen 17,477 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic.

Hospitalizations also are starting to increase after a period of decline. In Rowan County’s region, the Triad Health Care Preparedness Coalition, there were 123 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday. One week ago, there were 80 people hospitalized.

For more local COVID-19 information, visit rowancountync.gov/covid-19