Two more Surry County residents have died from COVID-19 related complications, bringing the death toll to 7 as the overall case load in the county has soared to nearly 800.
Officials from Surry County Health and Nutrition Center said the sixth victim died on July 23, while the seventh victim succumbed on July 25. The July 23 death involved a person in his or her 80s who had what the agency called “underlying medical conditions.” The seventh victim was a person in his or her 60s, and there was no mention of any other health issues other than COVID-19.
“To protect the families’ privacy, no further information will be released,” the agency said.
“I would like to extend my deep sympathies and condolences to the families. It goes without saying that this is a very difficult time for all who are affected,” said Surry County Health Director Samantha Ange.
The deaths mark five over a 15-day period, from July 10 to July 25, and come amidst a steep rise in local cases. As of Monday morning, the latest figures available from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services show Surry County has 773 confirmed cases of COVID-19, far outpacing any other county in the immediate vicinity except Forsyth County.
Forsyth’s figures dwarf many around the state, with 4,607 cans and 41 deaths. Wilkes County, which at one time had several hundred more cases than Surry as a result of outbreaks at chicken processing plants there, is at 701 cases with 9 deaths. Yadkin County has 445 cases with six deaths; Stokes County has 221 confirmed cases with 1 confirmed death; and Ashe County has 62 cases with no reported deaths. Statewide North Carolina now has 114,338 laboratory-confirmed cases with 1,790 deaths.
Across the border in Virginia, Carroll County has 299 cases and 10 deaths, Galax has 326 cases with 16 deaths, Grayson County has recorded 120 cases and 4 deaths, while Patrick County has had 99 cases and 3 deaths. Statewide, Virginia has 82,871 confirmed cases with 7,600 confirmed COVID-19 deaths.
Nationally, there are now 4,163,892 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 145, 982 deaths from the virus. That represents 64,582 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, along with 969 new deaths in the same time frame.
“We must all do our part to not only protect ourselves but to protect those who are more vulnerable to experiencing severe complications from COVID-19,” Ange said of the local cases. “I urge everyone to continue to abide by the recommendations set forth by the CDC, NC DHHS, and North Carolina Gov. Cooper to help ensure we do not reverse the impact we have made thus far with controlling the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.”
“Surry County Health and Nutrition Center would like to once again reiterate the importance of taking the threat of COVID-19 seriously and remembering to protect yourselves and your loved ones by wearing a cloth face covering when in public, waiting at least 6 feet from others, avoiding crowded settings, and washing your hands frequently and thoroughly,” the local agency said in its statement. “The COVID-19 outbreak has been accompanied by a flood of misinformation from unreliable sources. Be thoughtful about what you read or hear about the virus and make sure you are separating rumor from fact before you act.”
To stay up to date on COVID-19 in North Carolina, visit ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus or text COVIDNC to 898211. Call 2-1-1, or 888892-1162, for general questions or for help finding human services resources in the community.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com
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