Iredell COVID-19 Hospitalizations Up, 999 Cases Confirmed

MOORESVILLE, NC — Hospitalizations for coronavirus-related illness increased throughout the state and county Thursday as Iredell County public health officials reported 999 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 Thursday afternoon. The tally in Iredell County is 35 cases more than reported Wednesday and represents an increase of 180 known COVID-19 cases in the county reported in a week.

Twelve county residents have lost their lives to the virus, according to the Iredell County Health Department.

As of Thursday, 24 people in Iredell County were hospitalized with coronavirus-related illness, three more than reported Wednesday. The same day, North Carolina reported 2,039 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 1,034 patients hospitalized for treatment, 40 more than reported Wednesday and a record for the state.

SEE ALSO: NC COVID-19 Confirmations Spike, Record Day Of Hospitalizations

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."

As of Thursday, 10 percent of all tests in Iredell County were positive, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. At least 406 county residents who had tested positive were isolating in their homes, health officials said Thursday.

According to DHHS, there were 11 clusters of coronavirus associated with child care centers and schools throughout the state as of Thursday — two of which were located 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. Tuesday, DHHS confirmed that the cases involve three staff members and two children at the facility. A cluster was also recently reported at North Iredell High School after five staff members tested positive for COVID-19.

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.

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 9:

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

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

Central Region (zip codes 27013, 28166, 28677)

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

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

• 346 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 Thursday.

The county's COVID-19 case tally as of July 9 included an estimated 557 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