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-Press Release, Warren County Government
Warren County public health officials reported the latest fatality due to COVID-19 yesterday. The fatality was a 75-year-old resident. This brings the COVID-related death toll in the county to eight individuals.
At the time of this press release, the Warren County Health Department reports 558 positive cases of COVID-19 with 466 recovered cases and two individuals in the hospital. The Health Department is following 88 active cases as of 5 p.m. on November 17.
“Like other counties within the region and across the state, Warren County continues to see increases in new cases,” stated Dr. Margaret Brake, health director. “The percent of positive tests has increased from 2.5% in mid-September to 7.3%.”
On November 17, NC Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) launched the COVID-19 County Alert System to inform counties of their level of transmission of COVID-19 statewide. The system uses three metrics (case rate, percent of tests that are positive and hospital impact on a county) to place counties into three tiers: Yellow- Significant Community Spread; Orange-Substantial Community Spread: Red-Critical Community Spread.
According to NC DHHS officials, the system will update during the second week of the month.
Warren County is in the Orange Tier for the period of November 1, 2020 – November 14, 2020. Counties in the Orange Tier must have had at least 21 new cases in 14 days and also meet one of the following metrics: 8-10% positive cases or has a moderate impact on county hospital(s).
Warren County has 299 new cases per 100,000 population within the two-week period. This equals to 29.9 new cases per 10,000 people. Warren County cases have a moderate hospital impact. Brake shared that since Warren County does not have a hospital, the Warren County score for this metric is based on where the highest percentage of the county’s inpatient hospital admissions occurred.
The state has created a menu of actions that counties can take to slow the spread of COVID by individuals, businesses, and community organizations and public officials.
For county residents, some recommendations include wearing a mask at all times when you are not at home and maintaining physical distance from people who do not live with you; limiting the mixing of people who do not live in your household; avoiding settings where people congregate and large gatherings/celebrations; adhering to the no more than 10 people indoors for events.
Individuals who are at high risk for developing serious illness should consider staying home as much as possible and only going out for work, medical appointments or other business.
Other recommendations are that community and religious organizations should avoid any in-person indoor meetings, events, worship services, or other gatherings above the indoor mass gathering limit of 10 people.
For individuals who are caregivers, please take care to wear a mask and wash your hands when checking in on elderly parents or family members so that you do not spread the virus to them. If you are sick, please have someone else to check on your loved one.
All businesses are strongly encouraged to implement teleworking if feasible and cancel any non-essential travel. Businesses can also share messages about the importance of wearing a mask and practicing the 3Ws; post signs about the 3Ws at entrances in accordance with the executive order; provide face coverings to employees and patrons and support employees to stay home when they are sick.
Anyone who is sick or thinks he/she may have been exposed to COVID-19 should get tested for COVID-19.
For more information, please contact Public Health Director Dr. Margaret Brake at (252) 257-1185.