Brunswick County Coronavirus Update (June 1, 2020)

By City of Northwest | June 2, 2020

KEY POINTS

  • Brunswick County was notified about the death of a county resident associated to the novel coronavirus Monday.
  • As of April 3, there have been five deaths associated to the virus (three residents and two non-residents who tested positive while visiting).
  • As of June 1, there are now 96 positive cases of COVID-19 among county residents (68 considered recovered, 24 isolating at 16 different homes, 1 isolating at a hospital, 3 deaths) and 11 cases among non-residents (6 considered recovered, 3 transferred monitoring to home county, 2 deaths).

MEDIA RELEASE

BOLIVIA, N.C. – Brunswick County Health Services is reporting the death of a county resident associated to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) today.

The individual passed away Monday, June 1 and had been one of the county’s hospitalized cases. They were also a household contact to another positive resident case. 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.

To protect the family’s privacy, no further information about this patient will be released.

“On behalf of my fellow county commissioners, I extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of this resident,” Chairman Frank Williams said. “The wellbeing of our residents who have tested positive and of those affected by the crisis’ wide range of health and economic impacts is of paramount concern at this time. I continue to ask everyone to keep calm, to follow the guidance of our health professionals, and to keep those affected by this virus in your thoughts.”

This is the third Brunswick County resident to pass away from the virus and fifth overall. The County reported the first resident to pass away April 3 and the second resident April 15.

Two non-residents who tested positive while visiting the county have also had deaths associated to the virus; the first non-resident passed away April 10 and the second non-resident passed away April 21. Both of these cases were unrelated to each other. Neither of the two non-resident cases are included in the County’s official case count due to reporting rules, however Health Services provides information on non-resident cases it receives for transparency.

“It is particularly sad for us to hear about this passing as we had not had an individual succumb to the virus for more than a month now,” Health and Human Services Director David Stanley said. “Our Health Services team is deeply sorry to know that another individual has been lost. We sincerely ask that our residents and visitors continue to take the threat of COVID-19 seriously and to watch out for one another through our actions and decisions moving forward.”

Phase 2 includes a Safer At Home recommendation, especially for people at high risk for serious illness. Staying home is still the best way to continue to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect North Carolinians. The NCDHHS encourages everyone to follow the three Ws when visiting any public area. These efforts work best when they are all practiced together by as many people as possible:

  • Wear a cloth face covering when in public (Make sure both your nose and mouth are fully covered and you are able to breathe normally while wearing it.)
  • Wait six feet apart to avoid close contact and maintain appropriate social distancing between yourself and others
  • Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer while also following other best hygiene practices

BRUNSWICK COUNTY TEST RESULTS

Brunswick County updates its case counts on its website daily. Find this information any time at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/alert-ticker/information-on-coronavirus/

As of June 1, there are now 96 positive cases of COVID-19, 23 pending test results and 2,755 confirmed negative test results, totaling 2,874 tests administered so far among Brunswick County residents. Of the 96 positive cases, 68 are considered recovered, 24 are isolating at 16 different homes, one is isolating at a hospital, and three are deaths associated to COVID-19.

There are 11 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. Six of the cases are considered recovered, the County has transferred monitoring for three cases to the individuals’ home counties, and two are deaths associated to COVID-19.

Isolated positive cases pose a low risk to the public as they and any household contacts are isolated or quarantined. To protect individual privacy, no further information will be release.

COUNTY RESIDENT CASES
GENDER OF POSITIVE CASES
  • Male: 50
  • Female: 46
AGE RANGE OF POSITIVE CASES
  • 0-17 years old: 10
  • 18-24 years old: 5
  • 25-49 years old: 28
  • 50-64 years old: 29
  • 65+ years old: 24
ETHNICITY OF POSITIVE CASES
  • White: 84
  • Black/African American: 11
  • Asian: 1
HISPANIC ETHNICITY OF POSITIVE CASES
  • Yes: 25
  • No: 71
COUNTY NON-RESIDENT CASES
GENDER OF POSITIVE CASES
  • Male: 7
  • Female: 4
AGE RANGE OF POSITIVE CASES
  • 0-17 years old: Zero cases
  • 18-24 years old: Zero cases
  • 25-49 years old: 4
  • 50-64 years old: 2
  • 65+ years old: 5
ETHNICITY OF POSITIVE CASES
  • White: 10
  • Unknown: 1
HISPANIC ETHNICITY OF POSITIVE CASES
  • Yes: 3
  • No: 8

To protect individual privacy, no further information will be released.

 COVID-19 TEST REPORTS IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY AMONG COUNTY RESIDENTS
Positive Test Results Reported to the County (County Residents)96
Pending Test Sample Results at the State Laboratory or Private Laboratories (County Residents)23
Confirmed Negative Test Results Reported to the County (County Residents)2,755
Number of Test Samples Reported to the County (County Residents)2,874
Positive Cases Isolating at Home (County Residents)24 at 16 households
Positive Cases Isolating at a Hospital (County Residents)1
Recoveries Among Positive Cases (County Residents)68
Associated COVID-19 Deaths (County Residents)3

Statistics as of June 1, 2020 at 6 p.m.

COVID-19 TEST REPORTS IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY AMONG NON-RESIDENTS
Positive Test Results (Non-Residents)11
Positive Cases Isolating in the County (Non-Residents)0
Positive Cases Isolating at a Hospital (Non-Residents)0
Recoveries Among Positive Cases (Non-Residents)6
Transferred Monitoring to Home County (Non-Residents)3
Associated COVID-19 Deaths (Non-Residents)2

Statistics as of June 1, 2020 at 10:30 a.m.

Note: Brunswick County Health Services 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.

Health Services monitors all individuals who test positive and any individuals in self-quarantine on a regular basis. The County shares statistics on test reports Health Services receives to allow for transparency and efficiency.

Most of the County’s resident and non-resident cases are related to travel to or from places outside of Brunswick County, however there is evidence of community spread of the virus in some of the resident cases. There are also a couple of instances where a positive case has transmitted the virus to another person outside of their household who was later tested and identified as a positive case.

Everyone in needs to continue to take actions that best protect themselves from COVID-19 wherever they are and should assume that they can be exposed to the virus anywhere—hence the need to wear a face covering, wait six feet apart from other people, and wash their hands regularly with soap and water for 20 seconds and/or use hand sanitizer frequently.

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For media inquiries, contact the Public Information Officer at 910.253.2995 or email meagan.kascsak@brunswickcountync.gov

COUNTY CONTACT INFORMATION & VIRTUAL SERVICES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

Brunswick County is urging individuals to visit our website and to call or email county departments for assistance first before visiting county offices. The County now requires appointments for in-person visits. Not sure who to contact? Call our main line and we can help direct your calls.

  • Main County Contact Information: 910.253.2000 / 800.442.7033
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