Dare County has 53 active resident cases, per Friday’s COVID-19 update

Dare County released the following COVID-19 update for Friday, July 17, which details the county’s most recent active cases, testing efforts, and additional community information.

The number of positive COVID-19 tests in Dare County is 246. Of the 246 cases, 140 are residents and 106 are non-residents. 53 of the resident cases are considered active. 3 are currently hospitalized (two out of the area) and 50 are in home isolation. 14 of the active non-resident cases are in isolation in Dare County.

Since the last Dare County DHHS Update issued, Tuesday, July 14, there have been 40 new positive cases. Of these 40 cases, 22 are residents and 18 are non-residents. The Dare County website has already been updated to reflect all of these cases.

Of the 22 resident cases:

• 2 of the cases, both symptomatic, are family members who acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual who tested positive outside of Dare County
• 3 of the cases are close friends, all symptomatic, who acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual whose positive test result was reported on 7/3
• 2 of the cases, both symptomatic, are family members who acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual whose positive test result was reported on 7/10
• 3 of the cases, 2 symptomatic and 1 asymptomatic, are family members who acquired the virus by direct contact with individuals whose positive test results were reported on 7/9
• 12 of the cases, 9 symptomatic and 3 asymptomatic, are not connected. It is unclear how these individuals acquired the virus which indicates community spread.

Of the 18 nonresident cases:

• 4 of the cases are family members, all symptomatic, who acquired the virus by direct contact outside of Dare County
• 3 of the cases are family members, all symptomatic, who acquired the virus by direct contact outside of Dare County
• 8 of the cases are not connected, 5 asymptomatic and 3 symptomatic. All acquired the virus by direct contact with individuals who tested positive outside of Dare County
• 3 of the cases are not connected  and all are symptomatic. It is unclear how these individuals acquired the virus which indicated community spread.

Contract tracing has been completed 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

Reducing the Spread

We are seeing an increased trend over the past few days of individuals who are unaware how they acquired the virus. This indicates an increase in community spread. We cannot stress enough how important it is to follow the 3Ws (wear, wait and wash) to protect yourself, your family and our community.

• 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

To protect yourself from COVID-19 please be sure to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Stay home if you are sick. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. Put distance between yourself and other people. Remember that some people without symptoms may be able to spread the virus.

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. Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. In addition to contributing to brain health, weight management, and improving your ability to perform everyday activities; physical activity can reduce your risk of getting sick. The good news is that you can stay active while practicing social distancing and avoiding the gym. Going for a brisk walk or jog outside in uncrowded areas outdoors is still considered relatively safe. Aerobics can be done successfully at home.  Push-ups, sit-ups, jumping-jacks and more exercises are great ways to stay fit!

Testing

On July 14, 2020 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:

• 243 diagnostic tests conducted – 7 positive, 0 inconclusive, 0 invalid, 236 negative
• 194 antibody tests conducted – 5 positive, 189 negative

Another testing clinic will be held on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 starting at 1:00 p.m. at Dare County Center located at 950 Marshall Collins Drive, Manteo NC. Individuals can register for an appointment for the diagnostic test, the antibody test, or both. Registration is required.

To schedule an appointment, please call 252.475.5008. The call center is open Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Participants are required to send a photocopy of their government-issued identification card and insurance card prior to the event.

Communications and Information Sharing

Dare County DHHS has an established schedule of communication to share information regarding COVID-19. On Tuesdays, a written update and a video update which includes an overview of the previous week’s COVID-19 key metrics is issued, and on Fridays a written update is issued. All released videos and written updates can be found on our website, DHHS facebook page, Dare County Twitter page, and Dare Emergency Management Twitter page. If you would like to receive these updates directly to your email, please sign up to receive our enotifications.

New positive cases are updated on the dashboard on our website and shared on the DHHS facebook page when we receive them. To find the most up-to-date information on COVID-19 cases in Dare County visit www.darenc.com/covid19. State COVID-19 data is available at https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard.