These 10 North Carolina counties are ‘red’ on new COVID-19 alert system. Here’s why
As coronavirus cases continue to climb in North Carolina, 10 counties have “critical community spread” that is straining some hospitals and leading to high rates of positive tests.
Health officials on Tuesday announced a new color-coded system that labels each of the state’s 100 counties with a color — red, orange or yellow. The map gives insight into areas where the spread of the virus is most critical.
Red indicates more than 200 cases per 100,000 people in a two-week span, a positive test rate higher than 10% or high impact on county hospitals.
The counties that are coded red are mostly rural areas in the western and southeastern parts of the state, and some have seen recent outbreaks at nursing homes or other facilities.
“By pinpointing counties with high virus transmission and asking everyone in those counties to work with us and do more right now to slow the spread of the virus, we can succeed,” Gov. Roy Cooper said in a news release. “It can help bring down their case rates, keep their communities safer, save lives and keep their hospital systems working.”
Here are the 10 counties:
Alexander County
The state’s highest positivity rate for COVID-19 is in Alexander County, where about 16.8% of tests for the virus came back positive in the past two weeks, data show.
During the same time period, the area roughly 65 miles northwest of Charlotte also had the highest case rate per capita at roughly 915 per 100,000 residents, according to officials. The state says the cases have a “low” impact on hospitals.
In its outbreak report, the state this week listed the county’s Millersville Christian Academy, where one staff member and five children tested positive.
Alexander County, home to about 37,000 people, reported 1,217 total cases as of Friday. Among those, the county says 1,053 people have recovered from the disease.
“Rural cases of COVID-19 are outpacing the urban areas, including Alexander County,” officials said in an online update. “Citizens are encouraged to continue practicing the 3 Ws: wear a face covering when in public, wait six feet apart, and wash your hands.”
Avery County
At least 11.3% of recent COVID-19 tests have come back positive in Avery County in the western part of the state, data show.
The area along the Tennessee border also has among the highest coronavirus case rates with 427.2 per 100,000, according to state officials. Impact on hospitals is deemed “low.”
About 17,500 people live in Avery County, home to the Grandfather Mountain swinging bridge. The county as of Nov. 11 had 105 active coronavirus cases, data show.
Within the county, the state this week reported an ongoing outbreak at Cranberry House, an assisted living center where 17 residents tested positive.
Columbus County
The state’s second-highest positivity rate for COVID-19 tests is in rural Columbus County, roughly 55 miles west of Wilmington, data show.
About 15.8% of tests in the county have been positive in the past two weeks, and the area is seeing 724.2 cases per 100,000 people, according to state officials.
There is a “moderate impact” on hospitals, a measure of emergency room visits, staffing shortages and other factors.
Columbus County’s case total was 2,249 as of Monday, according to a Facebook post from the local health department.
The state in its weekly report said seven coronavirus cases were tied to Liberty Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center of Columbus County, and another five were linked to Enchanting Tree Learning Center.
Davie County
The two-week case rate stands at 410.8 per 100,000 in Davie County, southwest of Winston-Salem.
Coronavirus tests in the county have a positivity rate of 10.4 percent, above health officials goal of 5% of lower. Its hospital impact was listed as “low.”
Davie County, home to more than 42,000 people, listed 1,019 total cases earlier this week. At least 164 of those cases were active as of Monday, according to officials.
Across the county, cases were reported this week at two congregate living facilities. They include five cases at Bermuda Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and three at Davie Nursing and Rehab, officials say.
Gaston County
Just west of the Charlotte area, Gaston County’s caseload has a “high” impact on hospitals, data show.
Also in the past two weeks, the county has had 456.5 cases per 100,000 people. But it also has among the lowest rates of positive tests of the counties in the red category, standing at 8.7%.
Gaston County is closer to a major city than many others in the critical status. It also boasts the biggest population among the 10 counties, with an estimated 224,000 people.
In Gaston County, more than a dozen nursing homes and residential facilities were listed in the state’s most recent outbreak report, which tied 562 cases and 57 coronavirus-related deaths to the centers. There were also 40 COVID-19 cases reported at the Gaston County jail, state officials say.
“Our public health department would like to remind everyone that going into the Thanksgiving holiday, it is more important than ever to note our county’s challenging state related to COVID,” the county said after the state released its coronavirus alert system. “The county has already been promoting messaging on how to more safely celebrate this holiday, knowing how easily the virus spreads and how many of the carriers can be asymptomatic. “
Hoke County
About 13.6% of coronavirus tests have come back positive in Hoke County, data show.
The area has 298.7 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in the past two weeks, according to state figures. Officials list the hospital impact as “low.”
About 55,000 people live in Hoke County, which is west of Fayetteville.
Mitchell County
At least 11.6% of coronavirus tests in the past two weeks were positive in Mitchell County.
The area had a “low” impact on hospitalizations but among the highest case counts per capita, at 835.3 per 100,000 people, according to state officials.
The Western North Carolina county is along the Tennessee border and is roughly 55 miles northeast of Asheville. It’s the least populous area among counties in the red tier, with about 15,000 residents.
Among current outbreaks across North Carolina, 14 coronavirus cases have been tied to Brian Center Health & Rehabilitation/Spruce Pine, the state said this week.
Sampson County
The COVID-19 positivity rate in Sampson County was 10%, putting it right at the threshold for counties labeled red.
The case rate was 502.1 per 100,000 people in the past two weeks, and the hospital impact was “low,” according to state data.
Sampson County, east of Fayetteville, is home to about 63,000 people. As of Monday, it reported 9,633 total cases, data show.
Within Sampson County, outbreaks were reported at Mary Gran Nursing Center and Southwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, the state said this week. The facilities had 30 and 33 cases, respectively, data show.
Also, 10 cases were reported at Tarheel Challenge Academy and 13 more were reported at an unnamed facility listed in the “other” category.
Wilkes County
In Western North Carolina, Wilkes County has 574.5 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people, data show.
The recent rate of positive COVID-19 tests was 10.5%, and the area’s hospital impact was listed as “low,” according to state officials.
About 68,000 people live in the county east of the popular mountain town Boone. The county has seen 2,354 total coronavirus cases, including 276 listed as active, officials say.
The county as of Wednesday said its positivity rate was 610 over the past two weeks.
At least 130 cases and 14 deaths have been reported at the county’s Westwood Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center. Cases were also tied to Accordius Health at Wilkesboro, Wilkes Health and Rehab and Wilkesboro Assisted Living, state data from this week show.
Wilson County
The area with the lowest recent positivity rates among those in the red tier was Wilson County, which reported 8.3%, data show.
But there is a “high” impact on hospitalizations and 460.9 cases per 100,000 people in the area east of the Triangle, according to state officials.
Wilson County has about 81,000 residents and is about 50 miles outside Raleigh, along Interstate 95. The county’s website as of Monday listed 342 active cases.
Coronavirus cases were reported in the Accordius of Wilson, Elm City Assisted Living, LongLeaf Neuro–Medical Treatment Center and Wilson Pines, the state said this week.
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 3:23 PM with the headline "These 10 North Carolina counties are ‘red’ on new COVID-19 alert system. Here’s why."
