Iredell COVID-19 Death Toll At 17 As Case Count Rises To 1,461

MOORESVILLE, NC — The number of known COVID-19 cases In Iredell County rose to 1,461 cases Thursday, an increase of 25 newly confirmed cases recorded in the county in one day, according to the health department.

As of July 23, at least 17 Iredell County residents had lost their lives to coronavirus illness and 20 people remained hospitalized. Out of the total tally of known cases in the county, 462 residents who had tested positive remained isolating in their homes, according to the Iredell County Health Department.

About 10 percent of all tests in Iredell County were positive as of Thursday, slightly higher than the 9 percent positive rate for the entire state, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The spread of novel coronavirus in North Carolina rose to 106,893 confirmed cases Thursday, an increase of 1,892 cases since Wednesday. The state's COVID-19 death toll also increased to 1,726 Thursday, an increase of 28 lives lost to the virus in North Carolina in a day.

SEE ALSO: 2,140 New COVID-19 Cases, 30 Deaths Reported In North Carolina

Iredell County health officials are grouping cases into three regions of the county: North, Central and South. Here's a breakdown of where cases have been confirmed as of 4 p.m. Thursday, July 23:

North Region (zip codes 27020, 27028, 27055, 28625, 28634, 28636, 28660, 28689 and 28678)

• 321 cases (up from 297 cases reported July 17)

Central Region (zip codes 27013, 28166, 28677)

• 582 cases (up from 505 cases reported July 17)

South Region (zip codes 28036, 28115, 28117, 28125)

• 558 cases (up from 488 cases reported July 17)

The county's COVID-19 case tally as of July 23 included an estimated 962 cases that were assumed recovered, ICHD said.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in North Carolina. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Wednesday, Mooresville Graded Schools announced that students will begin the new academic year next month with online instruction. The Mooresville Board of Education vote approving the plan comes after a recent survey of preferred scenario for parents: in-person instruction with safety protocols or full-remote learning.

"This morning our Board of Education voted to begin our school year under Plan C," Virtual Learning Plan, the school district said in a statement, via Facebook. The school board's outlined blueprint for the "Plan C" Virtual Learning Plan includes a hybrid of live instructional time and daily independent work time.

Earlier this week, the county health department announced that every staff member and resident of Brookdale Peachtree II- Memory Care in Statesville would be tested for COVID-19 as a precautionary measure after the nursing home confirmed an outbreak that included two staff members and two residents. According to the health department, DHHS defines an outbreak as two or more cases in a long-term care facility.

"Testing of all staff and residents was recommended by the health department after an individual working in the facility tested positive," ICHD said. "Other than the initial case, residents and staff who have tested positive have been without symptoms."

The Brookdale Peachtree outbreak is the third reported coronavirus outbreak at a care facility in the county, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Maple Leaf Health Care, located at `1101 Maple Care Lane in Statesville reported two residents had tested positive. The Citadel, located at 555 Glenwood Drive in Mooresville, also reported a staff member and a resident were confirmed positive.

SEE ALSO:

• Mooresville High No Longer A Testing Location For Fall SAT
• Mooresville Graded Schools To Begin School Year Virtually
• COVID-19 Testing: No-Cost Mooresville Event Set For July 30