Positive Cases Continue To Rise

Press release from Cumberland County:

Dec 08, 2020

The Department of Public Health reports 710 new COVID-19 cases in Cumberland County and three additional death since the last report on Dec 2. Cumberland County has 10,333 total COVID-19 cases and 124 deaths since the onset of the pandemic and remains in the Orange tier of the NC COVID-19 County Alert System.

Tier Orange indicates substantial community spread using cases rates, the percent of tests that are positive and hospital impact within Cumberland.

“Cumberland is facing a critical point in the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Health Director Dr. Jennifer Green. “The virus is spreading in our community with more than 10% of those tested returning positive. We must all show personal accountability and integrity—wear your mask, wait 6 feet apart and wash your hands.”

Using case data as of Dec 4, 8,918 cases are considered recovered.

Recovery data is reported using the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) estimated median time to recover of 14 days from the date of specimen collection for non-fatal COVID-19 cases who were not hospitalized, or if hospitalization status is unknown. The estimated median recovery time is 28 days from the date of specimen collection for hospitalized non-fatal COVID-19 cases. Estimates are used since patient-specific data on the actual time to resolution of all symptoms are not available for all COVID-19 cases in North Carolina.

Statement from NC DHHS issued Dec. 5
NCDHHS Secretary Mandy K. Cohen, M.D. released the following statement:

In less than a week, we went from exceeding 5,000 new cases reported in one day to exceeding 6,000. This is very worrisome. We are seeing our highest rates of tests that come back positive despite the fact we are doing a lot of testing. This indicates we have even more viral spread across our state right now. We have record numbers of hospitalizations and people in the ICU. I am asking each North Carolinian to take personal responsibility for their actions and slowing the spread of this virus. Always wear a mask when with people you don’t live with, keep your distance from other people and wash your hands often. We are looking at what further actions we can take as a state to protect North Carolinians and save lives.

Staying Updated
Cumberland County has made it easy for you to stay updated on the latest information about COVID-19. You can visit our COVID-19 webpage, which has a list of COVID-19-related closures and service changes. The county is also sharing important

This press release was produced by Cumberland County. The views expressed are the author's own.