Mecklenburg County reports second COVID-19 death

A second person in Mecklenburg County has died from COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, officials said Wednesday. They did not release the person’s name or other details.

The death marks the 13th in North Carolina from COVID-19.

On March 29, Mecklenburg County reported its first death related to the coronavirus. Health Director Gibbie Harris said then the person who died was 60 years old and had previous underlying health issues.

On the same day, Buncombe County also reported its first death, a person who died in a hospital in Asheville. Few details were released. Buncombe County Health and Human Services officials described the person who died as an “elderly individual.”

North Carolina’s first death from COVID-19 was confirmed March 25 in Cabarrus County. There, officials said a man in his 70s died after contracting the disease. Health officials said the man had underlying health conditions.

A second person, from Virginia, also died in Cabarrus County while traveling on March 25, the Charlotte Observer has previously reported. The Virginia resident is not included in North Carolina’s statewide total.

The number of U.S. coronavirus cases surged by more than 14,000 in just a few hours Wednesday as the death toll nationwide topped 4,400, CNN reported.

As of Wednesday night, nearly 1,600 cases were reported by North Carolina state health officials.

This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 5:30 PM.