2 new deaths in Mecklenburg, state reports 151 new COVID-19 cases 

Editor’s note: This story was corrected on Tuesday, August 4, 2020. The previous version on Monday, August 3, 2020, misstated the number of new cases reported, compared to the day before. Corresponding figures for averages of new cases over the last week and 14 days were inaccurate and have since been corrected.

Mecklenburg County added 151 new coronavirus cases, according to state health data released Monday. The county has seen a total of 21,015 COVID-19 cases cumulatively since mid March.

That is far below the 14-day average of new cases in the county, as reported by state health officials. Over the past two weeks, the daily average of new COVID-19 cases was 246.

Mecklenburg health officials reported two more coronavirus related deaths late Sunday, bringing the county’s total death count to 217. On Sunday, local health officials announced on Twitter that 12 COVID-19 deaths had accidentally gone unreported in July.

A total of 64 people with coronavirus died in the Charlotte area in July. So far in August, there have been three deaths.

Statewide, DHHS reported 1,313 new COVID-19 cases Monday, nearly the same number of new cases reported the previous day. North Carolina has seen a total of 126,532 cases, according to state health data. The state also added 13 new deaths, for a total of 1,982.

Thirteen deaths in one day is unusually high for North Carolina.

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 or nursing homes. 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 3, 2020 at 3:31 PM.