Mecklenburg reports 12 uncounted COVID-19 deaths from July. County adds 185 new cases.

Late Saturday, Mecklenburg County health officials reported 12 previously uncounted COVID-19 related deaths that occurred between July 16 and 31.

The deaths were not counted “due to to technical issues in the reporting process,” Mecklenburg County tweeted.

Six took place between July 16 and 28, according to local health officials, and six more between July 29 and 31.

One new death was reported Sunday, bringing Mecklenburg’s total to 215 coronavirus deaths.

The Observer previously reported that 52 deaths occurred in July. Including the 12 deaths added Saturday, July’s COVID-19 death toll is actually 64. There were 57 related deaths in June and 48 in May, the Observer reported.

As of Sunday, state health data show Mecklenburg County had a total of 20,864 coronavirus cases since mid-March.

The county added 185 new cases from the previous day, the state Department of Health and Human Services reported. The percent of positive coronavirus tests has been modestly declining over the past several weeks in the Charlotte area, the Observer has reported.

Local hospitalizations, however, have increased. An average of 198 people per day require COVID-19 care in Mecklenburg hospitals, according to local health data.

Statewide, DHHS reported 1,341 new cases Sunday, for a total of 125,219, and five more deaths, for a total of 1,969.

Mecklenburg COVID-19 update

As of July 29 — the last date demographic data was publicly available — county coronavirus data show:

▪ During the past week, health officials say an average of 197 individuals with laboratory confirmed COVID-19 infections were hospitalized at acute-care facilities in Mecklenburg County. However, an Observer analysis of data from the county’s “daily hospital census” shows the average is 198 people.

▪An average of 9.6% of individuals who were tested during the past week were positive for COVID-19. Mecklenburg County Public Health says this represents a slight decrease over the last 14 days. These data only include tests by Atrium Health, Novant Health, CVS Health and Walgreens Pharmacy. Those providers administer the majority of tests locally.

▪ About 60% of nearly 20,000 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, three out of four 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.

▪ About half of those people who have died from COVID-19 locally were connected to outbreaks in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. Still, three deaths recorded as of July 29 were among people with no known underlying conditions. Twenty-seven of those who died were between 40 and 59, and three people were under 40.

This story was originally published August 2, 2020 at 2:59 PM.