NEW HANOVER COUNTY — Late Friday afternoon and evening county and school district officials notified the public of a fifth death due to Covid-19 as well as a case in the school district’s central administration office.
According to New Hanover County, Thursday, May 28, saw the county’s highest one-day increase, as the total confirmed cases rose from 171 to 188. On Friday, county officials learned of the fifth death from Covid-19.
According to New Hanover County, the resident died on Thursday. According to officials, the patient “was in their 50’s and considered at high risk of severe illness because of underlying health conditions.” Due to privacy concerns, the county did not share any additional information.
The county’s Public Health department is monitoring what it called “the sharp increase in lab-confirmed cases” of COVID-19.
“An increase in cases has been expected in our area as we’ve expanded testing and extended testing to close contacts of individuals with COVID-19, but it’s important to realize that testing does not create cases of the virus, it finds what is already out there,” according to Public Health Preparedness Coordinator Lisa Brown. “As long as the virus is present in our community, and as activity in the region picks up for the summer months, we must remain diligent in slowing the spread and preventing an overrun of our local healthcare system.”
Also announced on Friday was a confirmed Covid-19 case involving a New Hanover County School district employee.
“An employee at New Hanover County Schools Central Administration, 6410 Carolina Beach Rd., has tested positive for COVID-19. The last date the employee was in the building was Wednesday, May 27. The individual does not have regular contact with the public and is self-isolating at home. All close contacts will be identified by the Public Health Department. Additional cleaning and sanitizing measures have been implemented throughout the building,” according to spokesperson Ann Gibson.
