275 new COVID-19 cases in Mecklenburg, county reports 2 more deaths 

State health officials reported 275 new cases of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County Wednesday. A total of 184 people have died, which includes the two latest fatalities reported late Tuesday.

Since March, the county has seen 18,075 cases, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services. The average single-day increase in cases over the past week is 304, according to a Charlotte Observer analysis of state COVID-19 data. The 14-day average is 328.

In Mecklenburg, the amount of coronavirus patients in need of hospital care continues to rise. The latest county data from July 19 shows an average of 190 people in Mecklenburg hospitalized per day. The number of hospitalizations has steadily climbed since mid-May.

County health officials report one in 20 people with confirmed cases have needed hospitalization locally. COVID-19 cases in adults over 60 were more likely to result in hospitalizations.

Also Wednesday, DHHS reported 2,140 new cases in North Carolina, bringing the state’s total to 105,001 coronavirus cases. Currently 1,137 are hospitalized in the state, representing a decrease from Tuesday.

North Carolina health officials reported 30 additional deaths on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths statewide to 1,698.

Mecklenburg COVID-19 update

As of July 19 — the last date demographic data was publicly available — county coronavirus data show:

▪ During the past week, an average of 190 individuals with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infections were hospitalized at acute care facilities in Mecklenburg County. Health officials say this trend represents a slight increase over the past two weeks. However, the number of people needing hospital-level care with COVID-19 has been steadily increasing locally since May and peaked in early July with more than 180 patients per day.

▪An average of 10.9% of individuals who were tested were positive for COVID-19 during the past week. Mecklenburg County Public Health says this represents a stable trend over the last 14 days. These data only include tests conducted by Atrium Health, Novant Health and CVS Health.

▪ Most people — about 60% of more than 16,600 cases — were adults under the age of 40. People older than 60 account for less than 12% of all cases reported but about 85% of all deaths.

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

▪ More than half of those people who have died from COVID-19 locally were connected to “active outbreaks” in long-term care facilities or nursing homes. Still, three of the 169 deaths recorded as of July 19 were among people who had no known underlying conditions. Twenty-three of the people who died were between the ages of 40 to 59, and three people were under the age of 40.