Mecklenburg County has 80 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, public health officials said Sunday evening.

Public Health Director Gibbie Harris revealed in a news statement Sunday that there is at least one reported coronavirus case in nearly every ZIP code in Mecklenburg.

ZIP code 28277, encompassing Ballantyne, Piper Glen and other south Charlotte areas, has six or more cases. Another dense cluster of six or more cases was reported in east Charlotte in ZIP code 28205, including Plaza Midwood and Central Avenue. Four ZIP codes did not have any cases: 28204, 28214, 28262 and 28036.

About half of all known cases involve adults ages 20 to 39, officials said. In one case, a resident under age 19 tested positive for the virus, Harris said.

About one-third of reported cases were among adults ages 40 to 59. Mecklenburg residents ages 60 and older make up 17.5% of the confirmed cases, Harris said.

There’s an even split among men and women who have tested positive, the new data show.

Officials emphasized the latest details outlining the scope of the pandemic in Mecklenburg were “fluid” as the coronavirus outbreak “evolves.”

The weekend began with an alarming surge to 77 cases, an increase of almost 80% since Friday in Mecklenburg. The higher numbers are in part due to more people being tested. State and local officials also say North Carolina is now experiencing “community spread,” meaning public health officials cannot determine the origin of each new case.

Demographics disclosed

For the first time on Sunday, Mecklenburg divulged demographics — including age, gender, race, ethnicity and residence — in its COVID-19 update.

That marked a reversal for Mecklenburg officials, who previously released scarce details, often saying only whether a person had traveled recently outside the U.S.

Experts in open-government law told The Charlotte Observer that Mecklenburg County was withholding more information than legally necessary, potentially missing opportunities to raise public awareness of the coronavirus.

“As the situation evolves, we will continue to provide more data and make decisions to protect the health of our residents,” Harris said in Sunday’s release, encouraging residents to follow public-health orders.

Harris has limited mass gatherings to 50 people in Mecklenburg to limit the spread of the coronavirus, forcing gyms, health clubs, theaters and other often-crowded places to temporarily close.

In surrounding counties, the number of patients has continued to grow. Iredell County reported four new cases on Sunday, for a total of six. And in Cabarrus County, officials said there were two additional cases Sunday, for a total of eight.

As of Sunday night, there were more than 300 reported cases of COVID-19 in North Carolina.

This story was originally published March 22, 2020 at 7:08 PM.