County near Charlotte reports new COVID clusters related to schools involving 21 people

Health officials reported two additional COVID-19 clusters related to schools in Union County on Tuesday.

Union County Public Health reported that 16 people who tested positive attended the Marvin Ridge High School graduation in Waxhaw. Some of the people attended other graduation activities not affiliated with the county school system, but all were commonly linked to the graduation ceremony, according to a press release.

Union County had allowed in-person graduation ceremonies during the coronavirus pandemic.

“The district provided clear health and safety guidance for graduates and their guests,” school board chair Melissa Merrell said in a statement Tuesday night, Observer news partner WBTV reported. “Ceremonies included social distancing protocols, and staff encouraged all attendees to wear face coverings. In addition, hand sanitizer or hand washing stations were available at each stadium.”

The second cluster was at East Union Middle School, where five staff members who worked together tested positive.

In Mecklenburg, there are no reported COVID-19 clusters in schools, but there are two related to childcare facilities, according to state data.

On Wednesday, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported 172 new COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg, bringing the cumulative county total to 13,489 since mid-March.

In Mecklenburg, 160 people have died related to the virus, according to county officials Tuesday. The county also reported the highest number of hospitalizations in a single day, July 2, where 182 people were hospitalized.

In response to increased cases and hospitalizations in Mecklenburg, county leaders instituted stricter mask requirements, mandating face coverings in county parks and buildings owned or leased by the county, Charlotte or Matthews.

DHHS reported 1,435 new COVID cases in North Carolina, bringing the state total to 77,310. The state reported 21 new deaths Wednesday. In total, 1,441 have died in North Carolina.

Mecklenburg COVID-19 update

As of July 5 — the last date demographic data was publicly available — county coronavirus data show:

▪ During the past week, an average of 165 individuals with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infections were hospitalized at acute care facilities in Mecklenburg County. This represents an increase over the last 14 days.

▪An average of 11.6% of individuals who were tested were positive for COVID-19 during the past week. Mecklenburg County Public Health says this represents a “slight increase” over the last 14 days. These data only include tests conducted by Atrium Health, Novant Health and CVS Health.

▪ Most people — about three in four out of more than 12,400 cases — were adults ages 20 to 59 years old.

▪ After symptoms of coronavirus subside, a person diagnosed may be “released” from isolation under CDC guidelines. In Mecklenburg, nearly half of the people who tested positive have met the criteria to end isolation, according to local health officials.

▪ About 1 in 20 people diagnosed were hospitalized due to their illness. People age 60 or older were more likely to need hospital care compared to younger people with coronavirus.

▪ The majority of people who have died from COVID-19 locally were connected to “active outbreaks” in long-term care facilities or nursing homes. Still, two of the 155 deaths recorded as of July 5 were among people who had no known underlying conditions. And 19 of the people who died were between the ages of 40 to 59.

This story was originally published July 8, 2020 at 12:38 PM.