31 New COVID-19 Cases Push Iredell Tally to 1,030: ICHD

MOORESVILLE, NC — Iredell County health officials reported 31 new cases of novel coronavirus Friday, increasing the number of known lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county to 1,030.

As of Friday, 24 people in Iredell County were hospitalized with coronavirus-related illness. Twelve county residents have lost their lives to the virus, according to the Iredell County Health Department.

As of Friday, 9 percent of all tests in Iredell County were positive, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. At least 400 county residents who had tested positive were isolating in their homes, health officials said Friday.

According to DHHS, there were 11 clusters of coronavirus associated with child care centers and schools throughout the state as of Friday, including one cluster in Iredell County. A Mooresville childcare center closed its doors temporarily after a cluster of at least five novel coronavirus cases was confirmed at the facility late last week.

North Carolina reported 1,982 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, increasing the state's total to more than 81,000. Hospitalizations also rose around the state, to 1,046 patients in need of medical care, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Service said.

SEE ALSO: Nearly 2K New COVID-19 Cases In NC, Death Toll Rises to 1,479

The spread of novel coronavirus throughout North Carolina is starting to put the squeeze on hospital resources, particularly in the Charlotte metro region, state officials said Thursday.

"Our trends are not where we want them to be right now. It's good that we still have hospital and [intensive care unit] bed capacity, but we're watching closely and paying particular attention to hospitals in the Charlotte area," Gov. Roy Cooper said at a news conference Thursday. "Just take a look at some states where an uptick in cases quickly caused hospitals to fill up. We do not want that to happen here."

Four counties in North Carolina are at a "tipping point" and should revert to stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of COVID-19, Harvard Global Health Institute said in its COVID Risk Level Map Friday. According to the map, which is based upon the number of new daily cases, Mecklenburg, Hyde, Duplin and Tyrell counties are considered to be at COVID Risk level "Red", and are in need of stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the virus, due to reporting 25 or more COVID-19 cases per 100,000 people.

Iredell County, along with 51 other counties in the state, are experiencing "accelerated spread" of COVID-19 and stay-at-home orders and/or rigorous test and trace programs are advised in order to control the spread of the virus, the map said. Only one county — Graham County in western North Carolina — reported less than one case per 100,000 and was considered to be on track for COVID-19 containment.

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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 3 p.m. Friday, July 10:

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

• 251 cases (up from 210 cases reported July 2)

Central Region (zip codes 27013, 28166, 28677)

• 418 cases (up from 334 cases reported July 2)

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

• 361 cases (up from 275 cases reported July 2)

About 39 percent of Iredell County's COVID-19 cases were of residents 25 to 49 years old, while about 9 percent of the county's confirmed cases were children under 17 years of age, ICHD data said Friday.

The county's COVID-19 case tally as of July 10 included an estimated 594 cases that were assumed recovered, ICHD said.

SEE ALSO:

• Coronavirus Relief Loans In Mooresville: Where PPP Money Went
• No Doctor's Referral Needed Now For COVID-19 Testing In NC
• Need A COVID-19 Test? Here's Where You Can Get One In Iredell
• No Decision On School Openings As NC Sees Record COVID-19 Jump