Davidson COVID-19 Update: 335 Cases Confirmed, 6 Deaths

DAVIDSON, NC — The number of known coronavirus cases in Davidson rose to 335 Tuesday, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The news comes as Mecklenburg County health officials report a countywide increase in laboratory confirmed cases, as well as hospitalizations for coronavirus-related illness.

As of Tuesday, Mecklenburg County reported 31,878 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 377 coronavirus-related deaths. The county's positivity rate averaged about 6 percent — up from about 4.9 percent reported 11 days ago.

In Davidson, six deaths have been attributed to COVID-19, DHHS said.

Earlier this month, Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said COVID-19 deaths for the first half of 2020 were the third leading cause of death in the county marking the first time in decades that a communicable disease was in the top 10 causes of death in the community.

The number of known coronavirus cases in North Carolina rose by 1,578 cases Tuesday, increasing the state's total number of COVID-19 cases to 248,750. The state's COVID-19 death toll rose by 53 Tuesday, increasing the number of lives lost to COVID-19 in North Carolina to 3,992.

Throughout the state, at least 1,203 patients were hospitalized for COVID-like symptoms Tuesday, 61 more than were reported Monday.

During the past week, Mecklenburg County reported an average of 177 laboratory-confirmed infections, up from the 14-day average of 138 confirmed infections. In the last week, hospitalizations at acute care facilities in the county rose to an average of 99 patients, MCPH said Tuesday.

Harris warned last week that jumps in COVID-19 spread in areas surrounding the county — such as in Gaston County — are starting to impact Charlotte hospitals. "We are hearing that hospitals in the western part of the state are overwhelmed, and they are diverting patients to the Charlotte area and the Winston-Salem area," Harris said.

Globally, more than 40.5 million people have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 1.1 million people have died, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday. In the United States, more than 8.2 million people have been infected and more than 220,000 people have died from COVID-19.