Iredell County's COVID-19 Transmission Rate Is High, CDC Says

MOORESVILLE, NC — Iredell County has a high rate of COVID transmission in the community, reporting 237 new cases in the past week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The new cases represent a nearly 87 percent increase in cases reported in the county inside a week, according to the health agency's COVID Data Tracker.

The news comes as an estimated 37 percent of those in Iredell County who are eligible are fully vaccinated, while about 45 percent have received at least one dose, CDC said.

The county's vaccination rates fall short of statewide metrics. As of Friday, 57 percent of adults in North Carolina were considered fully vaccinated, while about 61 percent of adults had received at least one dose.

SEE ALSO: NC To Require Vaccination Proof From State Workers: Gov. Cooper

As the number of new COVID cases continue to rise throughout the state, North Carolina officials are turning up the pressure this week on those who remain unvaccinated. Beginning Sept. 1, state workers will be asked to provide verification that they've been vaccinated, or face weekly testing and mandatory mask policy, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday.

"Our trends have turned sharply in the wrong direction," Cooper said. "Unvaccinated people are driving this resurgence and getting themselves and other people sick," he said.

The new policy announcement comes as the state reported 3,268 new cases in the span of a day, a daily rise that hasn't been seen in the state since February. As of July 29, at least 1,141 people were hospitalized, a doubling of hospitalization rates in two weeks.

The new vaccination verification policy, which Cooper will sign into effect through an executive order, is expected to affect about 50,000 state employees, he said.

North Carolina this week has also updated guidance for K-12 schools, recommending they align their mask policies with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's call for universal masking.

"In accordance with the CDC, we recommend that all K-12 schools require masks for all their students and teachers," Cooper said.

Iredell County schools have decided to not heed the state and federal guidance on masking. As of July 30, face coverings will be optional in both Mooresville Graded Schools and Iredell-Statesville Schools when classes resume.

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