Brunswick County COVID-19 Snapshot: Brunswick County Sees Encouraging Trends In Case Counts, Face Coverings And Social Distancing Still Vital Efforts As We Move Into September
KEY POINTS
- As of Friday, Aug. 21, there are now 1,354 positive cases of COVID-19 among county residents (1,187 considered recovered, 138 isolating at 103 different homes, 7 hospitalized, 22 deaths) and 17 cases involving non-residents (1 isolating in the county, 11 considered recovered, 3 transferred monitoring to home county, 2 deaths).
- While a majority of cases are recovering, in the past 11 days Health Services has reported one more death related to the virus and an average of 11 hospital beds used for resident cases across that timeframe
- North Carolina’s Safer at Home Phase 2 continues to at least Friday, Sept. 11; continue to avoid social gatherings, stay home when possible and practice the three Ws (wear a face covering, wait six feet apart, wash hands often) to help us keep on track the next few weeks and over Labor Day Weekend
MEDIA RELEASE
BOLIVIA, N.C. – While testing and identification of positive cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to happen every day, Brunswick County Health Services has started to see a decrease in the number of new cases in recent weeks—suggesting that proactive measures from the public like using face coverings and social distancing are helping to prevent the potential spread of the virus.
Brunswick County averaged about nine to 10 new identified cases daily in the first two weeks of August, which is more in line with the number of cases identified in the first two weeks of June. In comparison, the first two weeks in July were averaging 25 to 26 new cases a day, likely due in part to increased activity during late June and Independence Day weekend.
“While the current new case count numbers are encouraging, we need to stay on our guard,” Health Services Director Cris Harrelson said. “With Labor Day just around the corner, we still need to take protective measures as we head into September.”
One likely contributor to the decrease in active cases is the increased use of face coverings in public places, which became a state requirement June 24.
During a press conference Wednesday, both Governor Roy Cooper and North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Director Mandy Cohen identified the public’s efforts to wear face coverings as having a positive effect in leveling the state’s key trends related to COVID-19 over the past few weeks.
“We are really encouraged and proud to see how many people in Brunswick County are taking the virus seriously and are wearing their face coverings while they are out,” Harrelson said. “While staying at home is still the best way to protect yourself, it is commendable to see residents taking responsibility to help stop the spread. Our Health Services team has certainly noticed and appreciates everyone’s action in this area.”
However, while nearly 90 percent of Brunswick County’s case count is considered recovered to date, the threat of COVID-19 is still present. In the past 11 days, one more resident has passed away with a death related to the virus; this individual was over the age of 65, had pre-existing conditions and was a resident at a congregate living facility experiencing an outbreak.
Individuals are also still being hospitalized for the virus, with an average of 11 hospital beds used for resident cases the past 11 days. Health Services is currently assisting and communicating with six congregate living settings with ongoing outbreaks of the virus, also.
As a reminder, North Carolina’s Safer at Home Phase 2 continues until at least Friday, Sept. 11 under Executive Order 155. People are also required, with some exceptions, to wear face coverings while out in public when physical distancing of six feet is not possible.
HERE ARE KEY POINTS ABOUT BRUNSWICK COUNTY’S CURRENT CASE COUNTS:
- Brunswick County reported 145 new cases during the first two weeks of August; this is similar to the number of new cases reported during the first two weeks of June (136 cases)
- Brunswick County reported 298 new cases in the last two weeks of June, reported 335 new cases in the first two weeks of July, and reported 309 new cases in the last two weeks of July, respectively
- Brunswick County has seen a 1,131% increase in resident cases since early June, with a 5% increase in cases in the past 11 days (Aug. 11-21)
- According to the NCDHHS COVID-19 Dashboard statistics on testing, about 5% of all tests in Brunswick County are positive
- There are 95 positive cases for every 10,000 people in Brunswick County
- Almost 60% of Brunswick County’s cases are aged 49 or younger: 25-49 years (35%); 18-24 years (12%); 17 or younger (12%)
- Hispanic/Latinx residents make up about 20.5% of total cases, while only about 4.9% of the overall county population identifies with this ethnic group
- There are currently 7 positive cases hospitalized
- Health Services is responding to six ongoing outbreaks at congregate living facilities in the county
- 22 residents and 2 non-residents have passed away to date with deaths related to the virus
Here is an overview of how many cases of COVID-19 have been identified so far in our region and state:
| COUNTY / STATE | REPORTED POSITIVE CASES AS OF AUG. 21 | PERCENT INCREASE IN POSITIVE CASES (JUNE 2-AUG. 21) | TOTAL POSITIVE CASES PER 10,000 PEOPLE (AS OF AUG. 21) | DEATHS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 151,912 | 408% | 145 | 2,465 |
| Brunswick County | 1,354 | 1,131% | 95 | 22 |
| New Hanover County | 2,966 | 1,361% | 127 | 21 |
| Horry County (S.C.) | 8,995 | 1,881% | 254 | 166 |
| Columbus County | 1,021 | 203% | 182 | 50 |
| Pender County | 724 | 794% | 115 | 4 |
Data is from the NCDHHS case count dashboard and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control case count dashboard.
BRUNSWICK COUNTY CASE DATA
As of Friday, Aug. 21, there are now 1,354 positive cases of COVID-19 among county residents (1,187 considered recovered, 138 isolating at 103 different homes, 7 hospitalized, 22 deaths) and 17 cases involving non-residents (1 isolating in the county, 11 considered recovered, 3 transferred monitoring to home county, 2 deaths).
Find the latest information on case counts (including demographic data) on our COVID-19 Dashboard linked on our Latest Information on Coronavirus webpage.
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 released.
Brunswick County has more information about testing, screening sites, and symptoms on its website, including testing sites for both insured and uninsured individuals. These online tools are also available to help increase access to testing:
- Check My Symptoms is a public website that allows people to enter their symptoms to determine if they should consider getting tested for COVID-19. If a test is recommended, they will receive a link to a list of nearby testing sites via email or text.
- Comprobar Mis Sintomas: La herramienta “Comprobar mis síntomas” le ayuda a ver sus síntomas en línea y ver si es recomendable que se haga la prueba del COVID- 19. Después de poner sus síntomas, si es recomendable, si es recomendable que se haga la prueba, recibirá por correo electrónico o texto una lista de sitios cercanos a usted donde se puede hacer la prueba. Esta es una herramienta informativa para ayudarle a ver si es posible que necesite hacerse la prueba; sin embargo, no es una orden médica. Los sitios de prueba pueden requerir su propio chequeo.
- Find My Testing Place is a public website that allows people to enter their county or ZIP code and access a list of nearby testing site locations online. To view in Spanish, users can select Spanish in the yellow box.
Find links to more information concerning testing in Brunswick County, answers to frequently asked questions, mental health resources, and resources for residents and businesses on our Health Services COVID-19 webpage.