Iredell Update: 8 COVID-19 Fatalities Reported In One Week

MOORESVILLE, NC — The spread of coronavirus in Iredell County has led to at least 73 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, increasing the number of known cases in the county to 6,898. The news comes as state public health officials urge county residents to reduce their public interactions to essential activities and tighten up social circles.

As of Dec. 10, at least 80 county deaths were attributed to the virus.

The spread of COVID-19 in the community has led to at least 755 new cases and eight deaths in the span of seven days, according to data provided Thursday by the Iredell County Health Department. At least 59 county residents were hospitalized for COVID-19 illness, up from 25 hospitalizations reported Dec. 3.

SEE ALSO: NC's Coronavirus Vaccine Distribution Plan: What You Need To Know

Iredell County is one of 48 counties in the state where the current spread of COVID-19 is at a critical level, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The number of North Carolina counties considered to have critical levels of community spread have more than doubled in the past two weeks, DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said earlier this week.

According to the state's new color-coded COVID-19 County Alert System, 48 counties — including Iredell — are now considered "red," up from 20 reported Nov. 23, while 34 counties are "orange" due to substantial community spread.

"If you are in a red or orange county, you should limit going out to essential activities," Cohen said. "You should avoid people that you don't live with."

DHHS recommends the following for Iredell, along with other "red" counties:

• Limit mixing between households and minimize the number of people in your social circle
• Avoid setting where people congregate, like outdoor bars and night spots
• If patronizing restaurants, consider ordering take out from restaurants and/or eating outdoors socially distanced
• Individuals who are high-risk for developing serious illness should consider staying at home as much as possible
• Reduce your public interactions to mainly essential activities, like going to work or school, caring for family members, buying food, getting health care or picking up medications

Iredell County health officials group cases into three regions of the county: North, Central and South. Here's a breakdown of how many cases were confirmed in each region as of 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 10:

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

• 1,378 cases (up from 1,234 cases reported Dec. 4)

Central Region (zip codes 27013, 28166, 28677)

• 2,775 cases (up from 2,498 cases reported Dec. 4)

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

• 2,745 cases (up from 2,492 cases reported Dec. 4)

North Carolina reported 5,556 new coronavirus cases Thursday, which increased the state's tally of COVID-19 cases to 416,038. The percentage of positive cases in the state was 10.5 percent, according to DHHS data.

As of Dec. 10, coronavirus had claimed the lives of at least 5,714 North Carolinians, of which 53 died from COVID-19 since Wednesday. Statewide hospitalizations also rose to a new high Thursday. According to DHHS, at least 2,444 patients sought medical treatment for coronavirus illness, an increase of four patients reported since Wednesday.

The record-breaking numbers of new coronavirus cases and filled hospital beds puts the state on a "dangerous course," Cohen said. "Our hospitals are feeling the strain and this is really worrisome. While we're able to currently manage capacity at this point, as we've seen in other states, things can escalate quickly."

SEE ALSO:

• Coronavirus Spread In Iredell County: See Your Risk Of Exposure
• Will North Carolina Have A White Christmas In 2020?
• Here's The Estimated COVID-19 Vaccine Wait Time In Iredell County
• 6 Ways To Stop Porch Pirates In Mooresville
• Preventing Christmas Tree Fires In Mooresville Homes