Dare County reported yesterday a spike of eight new positive test results for COVID-19, after reporting none on Tuesday. Five of the eight new cases are nonresidents, four of whom are in the 50-64 age group and are isolating in Dare County.
These four over-50 nonresidents are three men and one woman. The other COVID-19 positive nonresident is a man, ages 25 to 49, who has transferred to his home county for isolation.
The last time the Dare County Dept. of Health and Human Services reported as many as eight new COVID-19 cases in one day was Sept. 28. Since then, the single-day case count has averaged about four (3.88).
Last Friday DCDHHS Director Dr. Sheila Davies reported that the positivity rate—which is the percentage of new positive cases among the total tests performed in a week—increased locally last week to 5.15 percent, which is the highest rate since the week of July 20.
The Beacon does not regard this COVID-19 “metric” in Dare County as significant because many of the people who test positive locally are infected outside of the area and “bring the virus” with them.
Also, testing in the county is largely dependent on the initiative of the subjects tested. The DCDHHS is not systematically testing the local citizenry.
The three Dare County residents who tested positive recently for COVID-19 are a woman, age 50-64, whose report was relayed to the DCDHHS late by the State of North Carolina; and two women, one ages 18-24 and the other ages 25-49. The former has recovered, and the other two are in home isolation.
The single-day total on Sept. 28 also included a late case report from the State about a resident who had tested positive and since recovered.
The total COVID-19 positive cases in Dare County is now 576, 312 local residents and 264 nonresidents.
Ann G. Sjoerdsma, 10/8/20
The Southern Shores Beacon 