Mecklenburg reports another young adult COVID-19 death as trends improve
Another adult under 40 has died due to COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County, according to information released by health officials on Tuesday.
It appears the person had underlying chronic illnesses, officials said.
Late Tuesday, county health department officials reported a total of 248 people have died from virus complications locally. That’s an increase of nine fatalities — the highest single-day increase in the county since the start of the pandemic.
Just four people who have died locally from COVID-19 have been identified as adults age 20 to 39. The majority of people who have died have been 60 or older.
Nearly 44% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 locally fall between the ages of 20 and 39.
Cases among people under 40 have been rising in Mecklenburg in recent weeks, making county leaders worry that young people aren’t following social distancing guidelines. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases in people age 40 and older have steadily dropped in Mecklenburg since mid-April.
County and state officials have recently tried to slow rising cases among young people, in part by keeping bars shut and banning late-night alcohol sales at restaurants that serve alcohol.
N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper announced last week he would once again extend Phase 2 of the state’s reopening plan, delaying Phase 3 for another five weeks.
Several key trends in Mecklenburg County have recently begun to move in the right direction. In the most recent data released Tuesday morning, Mecklenburg County shows a slight decrease in both hospitalizations and the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests over two weeks.
The weekly average positivity rate of COVID-19 tests in Mecklenburg County dropped to the lowest point since mid-May, according to a Charlotte Observer analysis of public health data.
On average, 7.5% of people tested in the last week were positive for COVID-19. This figure covers tests between Aug. 2 and 9.
The positivity rate of tests locally has been modestly declining for several weeks. Throughout much of June and July, the weekly average rate hovered at 10 to 11%.
Fewer people have been hospitalized in recent days with COVID-19, according to local health officials.
An average of 170 people with confirmed cases of COVID-19 were hospitalized in Mecklenburg from Aug. 2 to 9, the most recent data available.
That’s compared to an average of 183 the week prior and 196 patients two weeks prior.
The average number of new cases identified daily has been dropping for several weeks, too.
According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, Mecklenburg saw 147 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, for a total of 22,462 cases. The 14-day average of daily new cases in Mecklenburg has been declining since late July.
This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 3:22 PM.
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