Brunswick County Reports One Death, 27 New Cases of COVID-19 in Past Five Days (June 2, 2020)

By City of Northwest | June 3, 2020

Next update: Thursday, June 4, unless an additional release is required. Brunswick County updates its COVID-19 case counts daily (including weekends) for residents and the media to view at https://www.brunswickcountync.gov/alert-ticker/information-on-coronavirus/

KEY POINTS

  • As of Tuesday, June 2, there are now 110 positive cases of COVID-19 among county residents (73 considered recovered, 32 isolating at 16 different homes, 2 isolating at a hospital, 3 deaths) and 11 cases among non-residents (6 considered recovered, 3 transferred monitoring to home county, 2 deaths).
  • In the past five days, Brunswick County Health Services has identified 27 more residents who tested positive for COVID-19; some of these cases are close contacts to positive cases who also received tests per NCDHHS testing guidance. All household contacts of individuals who receive a test must quarantine while awaiting the result.
  • Continue to monitor your health and watch for any of these COVID-19 symptoms: cough, shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell.
  • Testing is available in Brunswick County for both insured and uninsured Learn more about the NCDHHS’ recent guidance on who should be tested.
  • COVID-19 remains a highly contagious virus. Follow the three Ws when you visit any public area to prevent the spread of the virus and respect one another’s health: Wear a cloth face covering; 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.

RELEVANT RESOURCES

MEDIA RELEASE

BOLIVIA, N.C. – In the past five days, Brunswick County Health Services has identifed 27 more residents who have received positive test results for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), bringing the County’s cases to 110 as of Tuesday, June 2. Of these positive resident cases, 73 are considered recovered, 32 are isolating at 16 different households, two are hospitalized and three are deaths associated to the virus.

The County reported on the third death of a resident associated to COVID-19 Monday, June 1. This is the fifth individual overall to have a death associated to the virus, as two non-residents who tested positive while visiting also passed away in April (both of these non-resident cases were unrelated to each other).

Part of the increase in positive cases the past few days is contributed to the NC Department of Health and Human Services’ updated testing guidance that expands the eligible pool of individuals who should be tested, including close contacts to positive cases regardless of if they have COVID-19 symptoms.

“Some of the County’s latest positive cases are the result of household contacts being tested after an initial family member or housemate receives a positive case, but not all,” Health and Human Services Director David Stanley said. “However, the initial positive case in the home still somehow contracted the virus, which is why limiting your travel and following health guidance like wearing a cloth face covering and practicing social distancing is still crucial to protecting yourself and others.”

When an individual receives a COVID-19 test, they are required to return home immediately and all household contacts must also quarantine with them while awaiting the test result. Health Services checks in with isolating and quarantining individuals daily as part of the contact tracing process to monitor for symptoms and provide health guidance.

Health Services is continuing to monitor its daily case counts and test results it receives, however since late March the NC Department of Health and Human Services has not mandated that medical providers submit test results back to the County if they are negative. This can result in underreporting of test counts.

Several providers are still voluntarily providing reports to the County on a frequent, but not necessarily daily, basis—which can result in higher test report numbers some days and fewer on other days.

“We know a lot of people are watching our County’s testing results to see if there are trends in the numbers, but it’s important to remember that test reports vary in the time that they are processed and reported back to the County,” Stanley said. “We appreciate the information our medical providers are voluntarily sharing with us so we can have the best perspective possible as to COVID-19 testing in our county.”

For reference, of the 27 most recent cases, Health Services received the positive test reports on the following days:

  • Friday: 1
  • Saturday: 8
  • Sunday: 2
  • Monday: 2
  • Tuesday: 14

Brunswick County’s test report numbers are not considered a spike at this time. Additional case counts in the coming days will provide more information on trends concerning COVID-19 in the county.

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

Individuals at high risk for severe illness from COVID-19 include those who are 65 years or older, those who have underlying health conditions (i.e., heart/lung/kidney disease, diabetes, weakened immune system, etc.), or those who are household contacts to a positive case.

More information about the Governor’s Executive Order No. 141 concerning Phase 2 is available below. The Safer At Home Phase 2 runs through at least Friday, June 26.

See answers and information to several of Brunswick County’s most frequently asked questions concerning COVID-19.

As a reminder, Brunswick County has not initiated any additional restrictions beyond those found in the Governor’s executive orders. All 100 counties must follow the Governor’s Executive Order No. 141. You are encouraged to reach out to your municipality to see if they have any additional restrictions in place that should be followed in their jurisdiction.

COVID-19 SYMPTOMS AND TESTING INFORMATION

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fever
  • Chills
  • Muscle pain
  • Sore throat
  • Loss of taste or smell

This list is not all possible symptoms. Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. Anyone with more serious symptoms should call their doctor or 911 right away. More serious symptoms can include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, chest pain or pressure, confusion or blue lips.

It is ultimately up to the primary medical provider to determine who should get tested, however the NCDHHS issued updated guidance on who should be tested for COVID-19. The new guidance recommends that clinicians test any patient in whom COVID-19 is suspected.

The new guidance recommends clinicians ensure the following populations have access to testing, regardless of symptoms:

  • Anyone with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19
  • Close contacts of known positive cases, regardless of symptoms
  • Persons who live in or have regular contact with high-risk settings (e.g., long-term care facility, homeless shelter, correctional facility, migrant farmworker camp)
  • Persons who are at high risk of severe illness (e.g., people over 65 years of age, people of any age with underlying health conditions)
  • Persons who come from historically marginalized populations
  • Health care workers or first responders (e.g. EMS, law enforcement, fire department, military)
  • Front-line and essential workers (grocery store clerks, gas station attendants, etc.) in settings where social distancing is difficult to maintain

Learn more about this new guidance on the NCDHHS website.

If you do not have a primary care provider or your provider does not offer tests, Brunswick County has a list of sites screening for COVID-19 tests for both insured and uninsured individuals. Remember to always contact these sites first to alert them of their symptoms so they can provide proper guidance and make preparations to best protect you and their staff.

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 2, there are now 110 positive cases of COVID-19, 29 pending test results and 2,769 confirmed negative test results, totaling 2,908 tests administered so far among Brunswick County residents. Of the 110 positive cases, 73 are considered recovered, 32 are isolating at 16 different homes, two are 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. One of the cases is isolating in the county, five 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: 54
  • Female: 56
AGE RANGE OF POSITIVE CASES
  • 0-17 years old: 15
  • 18-24 years old: 7
  • 25-49 years old: 35
  • 50-64 years old: 29
  • 65+ years old: 24
ETHNICITY OF POSITIVE CASES
  • White: 98
  • Black/African American: 11
  • Asian: 1
HISPANIC ETHNICITY OF POSITIVE CASES
  • Yes: 38
  • No: 72
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
 COVID-19 TEST REPORTS IN BRUNSWICK COUNTY AMONG COUNTY RESIDENTS
Positive Test Results Reported to the County (County Residents)110
Pending Test Sample Results at the State Laboratory or Private Laboratories (County Residents)29
Confirmed Negative Test Results Reported to the County (County Residents)2,769
Number of Test Samples Reported to the County (County Residents)2,908
Positive Cases Isolating at Home (County Residents)32 at 16 households
Positive Cases Isolating at a Hospital (County Residents)2
Recoveries Among Positive Cases (County Residents)73
Associated COVID-19 Deaths (County Residents)3

Statistics as of June 2, 2020 at 3 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 2, 2020 at 3 p.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.

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

COMMUNITY CARE OF NORTH CAROLINA’S COVID-19 TRIAGE PLUS (AVAILABLE 7 A.M. TO 11 P.M. DAILY)

CCNC’s COVID-19 Triage Plus is a toll-free helpline aimed at answering patients’ COVID-19 questions and helping them find the care they need. COVID-19 Triage Plus staff are local, NC-licensed RNs experienced in care management who will assist any North Carolina resident regardless of insurance coverage or lack of coverage. Through an agreement with the NC Department of Health and Human Services, CCNC will staff this helpline from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

  • COVID-19 Triage Plus Patient Information and Support Line: 1.877.490.6642

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.

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: 877.685.2415 (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:

Find the latest information, case counts, contact information for community partners and food resources in Brunswick County on our Latest Information on Coronavirus webpage.

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