Eighth August death in Rowan County attributed to COVID-19

Published 1:29 pm Monday, August 16, 2021

SALISBURY — The Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported another death from COVID-19 in Rowan County, making eight residents this month and 324 since the start of the pandemic.

About halfway through the month, the eight deaths make August the deadliest for COVID-19 since February, according to NCDHHS. With about 70 deaths reported, January was the deadliest for COVID-19 in Rowan County.

Data show deaths in August occurring on the following dates:

• One on Aug. 2

• Four on Aug. 3

• One on Aug. 5

• One on Aug. 6

• One on Aug. 7

The number of deaths among county residents continues to rank eighth in the state, behind Buncombe County, which has 334 deaths. Further information about COVID-19 deaths isn’t immediately made available.

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 in Rowan County’s region, the Triad Health Care Preparedness Coalition, rose to 619 after being 589 the day prior. The region is second for total number of people hospitalized and first for the number of people in intensive care with COVID-19 — 161.

First in hospitalizations is the Metrolina region, which contains Charlotte. The same region is second for intensive care patients.

The number of COVID-19 cases is still rising, too, with 1,230 positive tests in Rowan County in the previous two weeks. Of those, 66 were reported by NCDHHS on Monday.

Adjusted for population, Rowan county has seen more COVID-19 cases in the previous two months than any neighboring county.