NEW HANOVER COUNTY — New Hanover County health officials are seeing a slight uptick in Covid-19 cases, just as numbers are peaking both state and nationwide.
Over the past week, the county is reporting a seven-day average of 45 new cases a day. This is up from the first two weeks of October when the county was averaging 28 cases per day; during the first two weeks of September, the county was averaging 48 per day.
Related: Free COVID-19 tests offered at UNCW through Nov. 24 [Free read]
The state saw its highest daily Covid-19 case count yet on Friday, with 2,908 new cases identified. New cases dipped over the weekend; still, the state’s seven-day average is 2,404 new daily cases as of Tuesday, compared to its seven-day average the week prior, 2,326 new daily cases.
The U.S. daily case count of Covid-19 peaked Wednesday, with more than 106,500 cases identified. Hospitalizations increased statewide in early October, but have since steadied, with 1,169 people hospitalized as of Saturday.
New Hanover Regional Medical Center saw 26 new people hospitalized daily on average as of last week. The hospital has discharged a total of 606 Covid-19 patients since the pandemic began.
In New Hanover County, four more people died from the virus last week, bringing the county’s total deaths to 44. Statewide, 4,615 people have died from the virus.
Late last month, New Hanover County was among 36 counties identified by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and N.C. Department of Public Safety as displaying Covid-19 trends that were “moving in the wrong direction.”
The state departments sent county leaders a letter on Oct. 20, asking them to consider increasing restrictions and enhancing Covid-19 violation penalties. In turn, county health leaders did not recommend increasing restrictions.
“Circumstances that could prompt examining such action may include broad indicators such as sharp case count rises and hospitalizations increasing to a threatening level, or specific documented gross disregard and violation of the governor’s orders by identifiable establishment(s),” Donna Fayko, county health and human services director, wrote in an Oct. 21 to county leadership.
At the time, the county was averaging 27 new cases per day.
To prevent the spread of Covid-19, health officials urge the public to practice the three Ws: wear a mask; wait six feet apart; wash your hands frequently.
Free Covid-19 testing is available in New Hanover County. No appointment is necessary. For more information, visit the county’s Covid-19 website.
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