The Dare County Department of Health and Human Services said the county’s second fatality, a resident in their late 70s, died Thursday at a hospital out of the area.
The majority of cases continue to experience mild to moderate symptoms, but there are some who experience severe illness. The second victim tested positive for the virus on July 17 and was immediately hospitalized, but could not overcome the illness.
Since Tuesday, there have been 12 new positive cases, 10 residents and two non-residents.
Of the 10 new resident cases:
3 of the cases, 1 symptomatic and 2 asymptomatic, acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual whose positive result was reported on 7/25
2 of the cases, both symptomatic, acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual whose positive test result was reported on 7/24
1 of the cases is symptomatic and acquired the virus by direct contact with a family member whose positive result was reported on 7/26
1 of the cases is asymptomatic and acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual whose positive result was reported on 7/26
3 of the cases are not connected, all symptomatic. It is unclear how these individuals acquired the virus, which indicates community spread.
Of the 2 new non-resident cases:
1 is symptomatic and acquired the virus by direct contact with a positive family member outside of Dare County
1 is symptomatic and acquired the virus by direct contact with a family member whose positive test result was reported on 7/23
Contract tracing has been completed on the 10 of the 12 new cases and direct contacts provided by these individuals have been identified, notified, and directed to quarantine for 14 days from the last date of exposure with the positive case. Health officials are currently in the process of working with the two other recent positive cases to identify and notify their direct contacts.
Hurricane Preparedness and COVID-19
Now is the time to call ahead and make sure your evacuation plans are still viable in the event that an evacuation order is issued. This is especially important right now because shelter options may be limited due to COVID-19 and social distancing requirements.
To access updated information from Dare County, visit www.darenc.com/isaias.
For preparedness information, visit www.readync.org.
Monitor local weather reports at www.weather.gov/mhx, sign up to receive alerts directly from Emergency Management at www.darenc.com/alerts and follow @DareCountyEM on Twitter.
Reducing the Spread
Please follow the 3Ws to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The 3Ws are proven tools to help protect you, your family, and our community. Wear, Wait and Wash.
Wear a cloth face covering if you will be with other people.
Wait 6 feet apart. Avoid close contact.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer
Staying Well
Practicing general wellness during these difficult times can help improve an individual’s likelihood of preventing or recovering from illness due to COVID-19. Sleep plays a vital role in boosting our immune system. The average adult should get 7 or more hours of sleep per night. You can work on improving your sleep habits by going to bed and waking up around the same time everyday. Make sure your bedroom is quiet, dark, relaxing, and at a comfortable temperature. Remove electronic devices such as TVs, computers, and smart phones from the bedroom. Avoid large meals, caffeine, and alcohol before bedtime. For more information on sleep recommendations, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/features/getting-enough-sleep.html
Testing
On Tuesday, July 28th Dare County DHHS partnered with Mako Medical Laboratories to host an Antibody & Diagnostic testing event for COVID19. The following is a summary of the results:
251 diagnostic tests conducted – 8 positive, 3 inconclusive, 0 invalid, 240 negative
194 antibody tests conducted – 8 positive, 186 negative