A 60-year-old has died in Mecklenburg County from COVID-19, county officials say
A person in Mecklenburg County died Sunday morning from the new coronavirus, health officials said Sunday afternoon.
The person was 60 years old with “significant underlying health conditions” and had been hospitalized, health director Gibbie Harris said. Harris and county Manager Dena Diorio expressed condolences for the person’s family and loved ones, saying it was news they hoped to never deliver during the COVID-19 outbreak.
It appears community spread led to the person contracting COVID-19 and succumbing to the illness, Harris said.
Officials did not release the identity of the person who died and said they would not be releasing additional demographic data.
“This individual falls into the high-risk category of individuals who experience the most-serious illnesses from COVID-19,” Harris said.
As of late Sunday, the total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County rose to 336, according to N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. That’s up from 299 on Saturday, and nearly twice Wednesday’s total.
State and local officials have warned: the number of cases will continue to go up as coronavirus testing capability expands.
The death marks the 7th known fatality in North Carolina from COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Also Sunday, Buncombe County announced a person died Saturday from the disease at a hospital in Asheville. Earlier deaths in the state included four other N.C. residents and one visitor who died while traveling through the state from Virginia. The Virginia resident is not included in North Carolina’s official count.
People in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County still have work to do to observe social distancing guidelines and comply with the stay-at-home order, Harris said Sunday. Community-wide effort, she said, is paramount for Mecklenburg County to avoid being a “hard-hit” area similar to New York City and other places where COVID-19 has widely spread.
“I am personally concerned and I need your help,” Harris said Sunday.
This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 1:06 PM.
