Public Health Announces Two Deaths Related to COVID-19 in New Hanover County
Posted April 21, 2020 at 4:37 pm Category: Emergency Management • Emergency News • News Release • Public Health
NEW HANOVER COUNTY, NC – Public Health officials were notified today of two additional confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in New Hanover County, bringing the total number of deaths in the county to three.
Both individuals passed away today, April 21, and were New Hanover County residents. They were both in their 80’s and considered at high risk for severe illness because they were over the age of 65 and had underlying medical conditions. To protect the privacy of these individuals and their families, no other information will be shared.
“My deepest sympathy goes out to the families and friends of these two residents who lost their fight to the virus,” said Board of Commissioners Chair Julia Olson-Boseman. “The threat of COVID-19 is real, and it is magnified by the loss of life and the grief that too many people are having to experience. That is why our mitigation measures and everything each person in our community is doing to limit the spread of the virus are so important.”
According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, COVID-19 is now among the leading causes of death in the United States; and as of Tuesday at 11 a.m., there were 6,951 cases of COVID-19 in 93 North Carolina counties, with 427 people hospitalized and 213 deaths.
“I was incredibly saddened to learn of two more of our residents who have passed away from this virus,” said Public Health Preparedness Coordinator Lisa Brown. “These two additional deaths in our community reinforce how important it is that we continue to follow physical distancing and Stay at Home orders. No one is immune from this virus, and every single zip code in New Hanover County has at least one confirmed case of COVID-19. So the actions we all take today will help protect everyone, including our most vulnerable.”
To date, New Hanover County has had 69 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and, of those, there are 45 people who have recovered, 21 people who are still ill and experiencing symptoms, and three deaths.
Slow the Spread
Steps that everyone can take to slow the spread of COVID-19 include:
- Comply with the Governor’s Stay at Home Order and New Hanover County restrictions.
- Wear Cloth Face Coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
- Stay home unless you must travel for essential purposes. If you must leave your home, follow proper physical distancing protocols: don’t gather in groups of more than 10 and stay at least 6 feet away from others.
- Stay home if you are sick, even if you are an essential worker. And cover your coughs and sneezes.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
- Clean and disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched (like your phone, tablet, countertops and daily work surfaces).
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As of 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, 2020, there have been 69 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Hanover County. For updates and resources related to the COVID-19 virus in New Hanover County, visit Health.NHCgov.com, call our Public Health Coronavirus Call Center at 910-798-6800, and follow the county’s trusted social media pages: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Nextdoor.