Dare County provides details on its 19 active COVID-19 cases in Friday’s update

Dare County released the following COVID-19 update for Friday, August 7, 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 369, 19 of which are considered active. Of the 369 cases, 207 are residents and 162 are non-residents. Three individuals , 1 resident and 2 non-residents, are currently hospitalized outside of Dare County.

Since the last Dare County DHHS Update issued, Tuesday August 4, 2020, there have been 9 new positive cases. Of these 9 cases, 4 are residents and 5 are non-residents. The Dare County website has already been updated to reflect all of these cases.

Of the 4 new resident cases since Tuesday, August 4th:

• 2 of the cases are close contacts, one symptomatic and one asymptomatic . It is unclear how these individuals acquired the virus, which indicates community spread.
• 2 of the cases are not connected, both symptomatic. . It is unclear how these individuals acquired the virus, which indicates community spread.

Of the 5 new non-resident cases since Tuesday, August 4th:

• 1 of the cases is symptomatic and acquired the virus from family members who tested positive outside of Dare County.
• 1 of the cases is symptomatic and acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual who tested positive outside of Dare County.
• 3 of the cases are not connected, all symptomatic. It is unclear how these individuals acquired the virus, which indicates community spread.

Contract tracing has been completed on the 8 of the 9 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. We are currently in the process of working with one individual to identify and notify their direct contacts.

Safer at Home Phase 2 Continues

On Wednesday, August 5, Governor Roy Cooper announced that North Carolina will stay in Safer at Home Phase 2 of reopening until at least 5 p.m. on September 11, 2020. The decision was based on health expert recommendations and the anticipation that with school reopenings, people will move around more and the virus will spread. In phase 2 mass gatherings are limited to no more than 10 individuals indoors and 25 outdoors.

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. Stress can play a significant role in suppressing the immune system, which can keep it from doing its job to help fight off COVID-19. Self care is more important now than ever. Take time to relax and do something you enjoy, especially if you are feeling stressed out or overwhelmed.You can manage your stress by practicing time management, talking to someone, writing in a diary, practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation, indulging in physical activity, and avoiding caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. For more information on stress and anxiety and COVID-19 visit the CDC website. 

Testing

We will be partnering with Mako Medical Laboratories to host another testing clinic on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 starting at 1:00 p.m. at Dare County Parks & Recreation located at 602 Mustian St, Kill Devil Hills, 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.