Dare County provides details on its 9 active cases, and the transition to Phase 2.5, in Friday’s update

Dare County released the following COVID-19 update for Friday, September 4, 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 465, of which there are 9 active cases among residents of Dare County. Of the 465 cases, 247 are residents and 218 are non-residents.

Since the last Dare County DHHS Update issued, Tuesday, September 1, 2020, there have been 6 new positive cases. Of these 6 cases, 2 are residents and 4 are non-residents. The Dare County website has already been updated to reflect all of these cases.

Of the 2 new resident cases since Tuesday, September 1st:

• 1 individual is symptomatic and acquired the virus by direct contact with an individual who tested positive outside of Dare County.
• 1 individual is symptomatic. It is unclear how this individual acquired the virus.

Of the 4 new non-resident cases since Tuesday, September 1st:

• 3 of the cases are not connected. All are symptomatic and acquired the virus by direct contact with individuals who tested positive outside of Dare County.
• 1 case is symptomatic. It is unclear how this individual acquired the virus.

Contract tracing has been completed on 5  of the 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.

Controlling the Spread

We cannot stress enough how important it is to use the proven tools available to help reduce the spread of COVID 19. Please help us keep the number of new cases low by following the 3Ws:

• 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

Safer at Home Phase 2.5

Today, Friday, September 4, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. North Carolina moves into Safer at Home Phase 2.5. For more information on this phase or Executive Order 163, view North Carolina’s website or Dare Countys website.

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. Hydration plays an important role in boosting your immune system. Drinking enough water helps to keep your immunity up to prevent infection. Your body is able naturally eliminate toxins and other bacteria that may cause illness when it is properly hydrated. For more information on hydration and water, please visit the CDC’s website.

Communications and Information Sharing

Dare County DHHS has an established schedule of communication to share information regarding COVID-19. On Tuesdays, we release a written update and a video update which includes an overview of the previous week’s COVID-19 key metrics is issued. 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.