Death toll rises from COVID-19 outbreak at Charlotte church. Cases linked to 3 counties.

Officials say three more people have died of coronavirus-complications linked to convocation events at a Charlotte church, now the epicenter of Mecklenburg County’s largest COVID-19 outbreak to date.

It’s been more than one month since large crowds attended church events at the United House of Prayer for All People on Beatties Ford Road. In that time, public health contact tracers and Mecklenburg officials have connected 213 COVID-19 cases to the events, which includes attendees and people who came in close contact with participants.

A total of 12 people have died, including 10 Mecklenburg residents and two Gaston County residents, officials said in a news statement Thursday.

Inside nearby nursing home, Madison Saints Paradise South Senior Living, the health department says there’s been a related outbreak. There, two residents have died and 19 cases have been discovered.

The events — which Mecklenburg health officials say contributed to widespread virus transmission because of lax coronavirus safeguards, including social distancing and mask wearing — fueled at least 12 hospitalizations locally.

Cases soared from nine on Oct. 17 to 68 four days later, and to 187 by early November.

More recently, cases connected to the church events have slowed. There have been only five new infections since last week, with Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris recently saying the secondary exposures among church attendees have begun subsiding due to the incubation period of the virus.

Most known cases are among Mecklenburg residents. There were four cases in Iredell County, five in Gaston County and one in Cabarrus County, officials said.

The number of close contacts, defined as the 294 people who were in close proximity to infected individuals, hasn’t increased since Nov. 10.

But the true scope of coronavirus cases beyond the Charlotte region remains unclear. Mecklenburg officials have notified health departments in California, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington, D.C. of potential exposure risks among hundreds of out-of-state attendees.

The outbreak underscored the dangers of large gatherings amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly just how quickly the virus can spread.

In Mecklenburg, the daily influx of new cases and hospitalizations are nearing levels last seen during the July coronavirus peak, when hospitals experienced their greatest strain on resources.

This week, the health department reported an average of 300 new coronavirus cases are added to the county’s caseload. That average daily increase has been trending up since late September in Charlotte.

There have been 39,556 cases in Mecklenburg since the start of the pandemic, N.C. DHHS reported Thursday. That’s a rate of 356 infections for every 10,000 residents. The death toll is 427, Mecklenburg officials said Wednesday.

Imminent hazard

In a rare public health action, Harris temporarily forbid the church from holding in-person gatherings, citing a lack of cooperation from United House of Prayer leaders to comply with contact tracers and other measures to clamp down on more viral spread. But Harris and County Manager Dena Diorio later agreed to modify the order of abatement of imminent hazard, once the church agreed to health inspections and capacity limits at all facilities, including the flagship location at 2321 Beatties Ford Road.

Church leaders in late October praised the county’s decision in a statement and said they were “excited and thankful to be able worship the Lord and do so together” — though an attorney also rebuked Mecklenburg’s “overboard” decision to shutter all 11 United House of Prayer locations in Mecklenburg. Apostle Ronnie White also said the closure was “distressing” to church members.”

“Daily services are fundamental to our beliefs, and this result preserves our right to worship God together as a community in the manner that is sacred and meaningful to us,” White said at the time.

In recent weeks, Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, has repeatedly noted worship services are sparking infections across the state. In the latest report, state health officials said there’s been 104 known clusters from religious gatherings. That’s translated into 1,460 cases and 25 deaths.

Yet health experts warn that even small gatherings — including private get-togethers with extended family and friends — can unleash a wave of infections if people let their guards down. Ahead of Thanksgiving, local and state officials are urging the public to keep their celebrations small, get tested for COVID-19 and consider virtual options when possible, among other guidance.