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March 19, 2024

COVID-19 death toll reaches 99

Local health leaders recommend against mass gatherings

The Alexander County Government released the latest pandemic information with the following COVID-19 update on Tuesday, Sept. 7:

In Alexander County, there have been 5,507 total cases to date, with 445 cases in the last 14 days and 235 cases in the last 7 days. Sadly, there have been 99 deaths associated with the virus, with 21 people currently in the hospital. Alexander County’s positive test rate is 15 percent, with North Carolina at 13.7 percent.

Approximately 37 percent of Alexander County citizens are fully vaccinated, with an additional 3 percent who have received one dose of the vaccine. In comparison, 50 percent of North Carolinians are fully vaccinated. The county highly encourages more of our citizens to get vaccinated against this highly contagious Delta variant.

Intensive Care Units at area hospitals are almost at capacity with mostly COVID-19 patients, many who are unvaccinated. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported that the state hit a pandemic high last week with 912 adults with COVID-19 in the ICU and 574 patients on ventilators. There have been numerous cases where someone with another illness or emergency health situation could not gain access to a bed in the ICU. With the recent FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, citizens should feel more confident in the vaccine’s safety.

Have you gotten your vaccination yet? In the United States, almost 176 million people are fully vaccinated, which is 53 percent of the population. There have been approximately 40 million cases and almost 650,000 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in our country.

The Health Department and local pharmacies have ample supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Immune-compromised individuals may now receive their third dose, but are asked to contact their doctor to determine the correct course of treatment. Booster shots will be available later this month for those who are interested.

To schedule a vaccination at the Alexander County Health Department, call (828) 632-9704 or visit www.alexandercountync.gov/covid.

It’s also important that anyone who has symptoms or thinks they have been exposed to the virus to get tested. You can schedule a COVID-19 test at the health department by calling (828) 632-9704.

The county is also discouraging mass gatherings to avoid a “super spreader” event. If you attend a gathering, or even when you go shopping, the county encourages you to wear a mask to keep yourself and others safe. If a business requests that you wear a mask, please do so.

Alexander County Government appreciates the public’s cooperation to keep the community healthy and safe.

1 Comment

  1. Diana Hidalgo on September 10, 2021 at 9:12 am

    Wow. 99. That is truly sad. Since early 2020.

    One death is too many.

    For a reference, just to show the severity, in those 18 months,
    How many died of coronary disease?
    How many died of injuries, car accidents, etc.?
    How many deaths were drug/ medication interaction or overdose?
    What is the total death count?

    I would love to know where to find that information so I could be better informed and educate my loved ones and neighbors.

    Thank you so much!

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