Brunswick County Coronavirus Update (April 15, 2020)
Brunswick County reports second death of county resident related to COVID-19, third overall
Key Points
- Brunswick County is reporting the second death of a county resident associated to the novel coronavirus Wednesday; this is the second resident and the third individual overall to pass away from the virus in the county.
- As of April 15, there are 35 positive cases of COVID-19, 31 pending test results and 911 confirmed negative test results, totaling 977 tests administered so far among Brunswick County residents. Of the 35 positive cases, 17 are male and 18 are female; 29 are considered recovered cases, four are currently isolating at home and two are deaths associated to COVID-19.
- There are eight cases involving non-residents who tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Brunswick County. Five of these cases are male and three are female. Four of the non-resident cases are considered recovered and the County has transferred monitoring for one additional case to the individual’s home county where they are now isolating; two are currently isolating at a hospital and one case is a death associated to COVID-19.
MEDIA RELEASE
BOLIVIA, N.C. – Brunswick County Public Health is reporting the second death of a county resident associated to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) today.
The individual passed away Wednesday, April 15. The patient was considered a person at high risk for severe illness as they were over the age of 65 and had some underlying medical conditions.
This individual was the contact of a previously reported positive case among county residents who had become symptomatic after returning from travel outside of Brunswick County. There is no known contact with children between either of these individuals.
To protect the families’ privacy, no further information about this patient will be released.
“We are saddened to hear of the passing of another resident in our county, and we extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of this individual,” Chairman Frank Williams said. “I encourage all our residents to continue to remain calm and to follow the health best practices our local, state and federal experts are communicating to us. Together we can all make a difference in protecting one another from this contagious disease.”
This is the second Brunswick County resident to pass away from the virus. The County reported the first resident to pass away Friday, April 3. Additionally, the County was notified about the death of a non-resident who was visiting the county and passed away while isolating Friday, April 10.
“We continue to keep those who have lost their lives and those who are fighting the virus in our thoughts at all times,” Health and Human Services Director David Stanley said. “We cannot stress enough how important it is that everyone follows the social distancing and stay at home orders our leaders have issued. Our actions can both protect our most vulnerable populations and help our health and safety professionals who are working long hours through stressful situations to try to help people recover and survive this disease.”
Brunswick County also received notification Wednesday that an eighth non-resident who was visiting the county has tested positive for the novel coronavirus. This individual was the contact of a previously reported non-resident case who is isolating with other contacts including children as a result.
At this time, most of the County’s resident and non-resident positive tests have some relation to travel outside of Brunswick County. However, there have been a few positive cases now that were potentially caused by community transmission due to the individuals’ lack of travel history or known exposure.
If you or someone visiting you recently traveled to Brunswick County from another country, another state (including South Carolina), or even another county in North Carolina, take responsible, proactive measures to quarantine yourself and any fellow travelers for 14 days now. Quarantining is essential to protect your health and to avoid potentially exposing strangers to the virus if you start to develop symptoms.
Even if you own a second home in Brunswick County, you are urged to remain at your primary residence at this time. Even travel from one North Carolina county to another can spread the virus.
Executive Order No. 121 is currently in effect through April 29, 2020, and directs people to stay at home except to visit essential businesses, to exercise outdoors or to help a family member. Specifically, the order bans gatherings of more than 10 people and directs everyone to physically stay at least six feet apart from others.
Following these rules and moderating your activity to only what is necessary is vital to making the stay at home order effective and to protect the health and safety of yourself and others. You should also contact your municipality or check their website or social media routinely to see if they have or will put additional restrictions in place.
- Read: Executive Order No. 121
- Frequently Asked Questions about North Carolina’s Stay at Home Order (Executive Order No. 121)
Public Health continues to work with our health and safety partners in the community to respond to the pandemic and is providing routine updates to the public on our efforts and important health guidance. More information and details from the County are available at brunswickcountync.gov/coronavirus
BRUNSWICK COUNTY TEST RESULTS
As of April 15, there are 35 positive cases of COVID-19, 31 pending test results and 911 confirmed negative test results, totaling 977 tests administered so far among Brunswick County residents. Of the 35 positive cases, 17 are male and 18 are female; 29 are considered recovered cases, four are currently isolating at home and two are deaths associated to COVID-19.
There are eight cases involving non-residents who tested positive for COVID-19 while visiting Brunswick County, resulting in their contacts having to quarantine as well; these cases are not reflected in the County’s total case counts. Five of these cases are male and three are female. Four of the non-resident cases are considered recovered and the County has transferred monitoring for one additional case to the individual’s home county where they are now isolating; two are currently isolating at a hospital and one case is a death associated to COVID-19.
To protect individual privacy, no further information will be released.
The age ranges of the positive cases among Brunswick County residents as of April 15 are as follows:
- 0-17 years old: Zero cases
- 18-24 years old: 2
- 25-49 years old: 5
- 50-64 years old: 15
- 65+ years old: 13
The age ranges of the positive cases among non-residents as of April 15 are as follows:
- 0-17 years old: Zero cases
- 18-24 years old: Zero cases
- 25-49 years old: 2
- 50-64 years old: 1
- 65+ years old: 5
COVID-19 TEST REPORTS IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY AMONG COUNTY RESIDENTS
| Positive Test Results Reported to the County (County Residents) | 36 |
| Pending Test Sample Results at the State Laboratory or Private Laboratories (County Residents) | 43 |
| Confirmed Negative Test Results Reported to the County (County Residents) | 927 |
| Number of Test Samples Reported to the County (County Residents) | 1,006 |
| Positive Cases Isolating at Home (County Residents) | 5 |
| Positive Cases Isolating at a Hospital (County Residents) | 0 |
| Recoveries Among Positive Cases (County Residents) | 29 |
| Associated COVID-19 Deaths (County Residents) | 2 |
Statistics as of April 16, 2020 at 11 a.m.
COVID-19 TEST REPORTS IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY AMONG NON-RESIDENTS
| Positive Test Results (Non-Residents) | 8 |
| Positive Cases Isolating at Home (Non-Residents) | 0 |
| Positive Cases Isolating at a Hospital (Non-Residents) | 2 |
| Recoveries Among Positive Cases (Non-Residents) | 4 |
| Transferred Monitoring to Home County (Non-Residents) | 1 |
| Associated COVID-19 Deaths (Non-Residents) | 1 |
Statistics as of April 16, 2020 at 11 a.m.
Note: Brunswick County Public Health is encouraging providers in the County’s jurisdiction to continue to report persons under investigation (PUI) at this time, however NCDHHS no longer mandates that the PUI form be completed and sent to the local health departments, which could result in under reporting of test counts. These numbers reflected the information reported to the County from local health care providers.
Public Health monitors all individuals who test positive and any individuals in self-quarantine on a regular basis.
Brunswick County will provide updates on any positive cases considered a low risk for community spread in its daily update unless a serious public health concern requires a separate release. The County will share statistics on the number of test samples and final reports Public Health is receiving in its daily update to allow for transparency and efficiency.
LOCAL AND STATE PUBLIC HEALTH CALL LINES
BRUNSWICK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH CALL LINE
The County is operating a joint information center with a Public Health Call Line and email to answer residents’ coronavirus questions (available Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). More information is also available on our website at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/coronavirus
- Phone: 910.253.2339
- Email: coronavirus@brunswickcountync.gov
Individuals who have questions afterhours are encouraged to use the North Carolina 2-1-1 program or call the North Carolina Public Health Call Line, which has public health professionals available 24 hours a day every day to answer questions. More information is available at ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus
NC PUBLIC HEALTH CALL LINE (OPEN 24/7)
- 866.462.3821
NORTH CAROLINA 2-1-1 PROGRAM
- For COVID-19 questions, dial 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162
- Sign up for updates by texting COVIDNC to 898211
The COVID-19 situation is a stressful situation for many of us. There are several resources available should you need to speak with someone anonymously at this time:
- Trillium: 685.2415 (24-hour availability in English and Spanish)
- Disaster Distress Helpline: 800.985.5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 (24-hour availability in English and Spanish)
- Hope4NC Helpline: 1-855-587-3463 (available 24/7)
- Hope4Healers Helpline (for health care professionals, emergency medical specialists, first responders, other staff who work in health care settings and their families who are experiencing stress from being on the front lines of the state’s COVID-19 response): 919-226-2002 (available 24/7)
- More resources are available through the NC Department of Health & Human Services: COVID-19: Managing Your Overall Health
Residents can find the latest information from the County concerning COVID-19 at brunswickcountync.gov/news
Individuals can also follow the County’s social media and sign up for emails on emergency updates at brunswickcountync.gov/info/email/