Dozens Of New COVID-19 Cases Reported In Davidson This Week

DAVIDSON, NC — The pace of coronavirus spread in Mecklenburg County is starting to slow down, according to county health officials who reported decreases in daily infection rates and hospitalizations this week.

The news comes as the top public health official in the county extended a directive urging residents to only leave their homes for essential activities.

Friday morning, Mecklenburg County reported 84,444 known COVID-19 cases and 766 deaths, representing an increase of nearly 6,000 new cases and 76 lives lost to the virus in the span of nine days.

In Davidson, at least 1,165 cases and 12 COVID-19 deaths were confirmed as of Jan. 28, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data. The tally represents an increase of at least 88 new cases and three deaths in Davidson in the span of eight days.

According to county public health officials, this week an average of 11.9 percent of those tested for coronavirus in Mecklenburg County were positive, down from 13.8 percent reported last week. An average of 420 individuals were hospitalized in the country during the past week, down from 540 a day reported last week.

Despite the dip in numbers, Harris extended the county's public health directive, which had been set to expire Tuesday, through Feb. 28.

"While our metrics have improved over the three weeks that the Directive has been in place, the number of cases, hospitalizations and positivity rate remain high," Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said Thursday. "I am grateful to our community for their commitment to following the Directive, but we need to remain vigilant with the prevention measures that are necessary to continue to move our community in the right direction."

Missing from the extended order, however, was a call for schools to remain virtual.

"Individuals should continue to utilize full-virtual options where in-person activity is not required," MCPH said in a statement. "For schools, the CDC study released earlier this week, indicates that with appropriate safety measures in place schools can be a safe location for students to learn and for school staff to support that learning. Public Health continues to be supportive of in classroom learning as the optimal options for our youth."

County health officials also urged that residents only participated in recreational activities with those that they live with.

The directive instructs residents in Mecklenburg County to:

• Only leave your home for essential activities and remain at home between the hours of 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., unless an exception as set forth in the Governor's Executive Order applies.
• Avoid leaving your home if you are over 65 or at high-risk for developing serious illness.
• Avoid any non-essential travel.
• Avoid gathering with individuals that you do not live with.
• Wear a cloth face covering, Wait 6 feet apart and avoid close contact, and Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer.
• Quarantine and get tested if you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Answer the call and participate in contact tracing to protect against further spread if you receive a call or text from Mecklenburg County Public Health.
• Get a flu shot and get the get the COVID-19 vaccine, when it is available to you.

As of Jan. 28, at least 50,835 first doses of vaccine had been administered in Mecklenburg County, and 11,774 individuals had completed their vaccination series, according to DHHS.

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