NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) – New Hanover County Public Health officials reported a record-high 37 deaths from COVID-19 over the past seven days, the highest number reported in one week in the county.
The total number of county residents who have died from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic is 250, with 45 of those deaths occurring in September.
“Our community has already lost so much to COVID-19, and now we are on track to report the highest number of deaths from COVID-19 in September since the pandemic began, with a majority of those deaths in the unvaccinated population,” said Assistant Public Health Director Carla Turner. “These deaths are real, they are incredibly sad, and they are being felt by the healthcare workers and the families and friends of the individuals who have died. This is why we care so much about vaccinations and things like wearing a mask and social distancing. Deaths from COVID-19 are a lagging indicator of severe spread, meaning they often come weeks after surges and can continue even when case trends begin to improve. When we saw high reports of deaths from COVID-19 in early 2021, we had protective measures in place, but we didn’t have widely available vaccines yet. We must continue to urge our loved ones to get vaccinated. It could literally save a life.”
WECT reported statistics published by New Hanover County on Twitter yesterday that said 30 people had died from COVID in the first two weeks of September. A spokesperson from NHC clarified that the difference did not necessarily indicate a surge in deaths over the past two days, but was indicative of a time lag in the numbers being reported by the NHC Health Department.
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