40 Coronavirus Cases In Mooresville, Masks Recommended

MOORESVILLE, NC — Iredell County health officials are recommending county residents wear cloth face masks in public settings as the number of novel coronavirus cases continue to grow in the county. There are now 40 cases of novel coronavirus in the Mooresville area, bringing the countywide total to 62, Iredell County health officials said Thursday afternoon.

"The use of cloth face coverings will not protect you from other people’s germs, but it will provide a level of protection to others in case you are infected," ICHD said Thursday. "This would be important if someone is infected with COVID-19 but does not have symptoms."

The recommendation does not replace the need to also continue social distancing, proper handwashing and staying home when sick, health officials said.

Earlier this week, the county saw its first coronavirus-related death. The individual, who had an underlying health condition, died from complications associated with COVID-19, ICHD said.

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Here are ICHD's recommendations for face masks:

• They should cover your nose and mouth.
• They can be worn when out in public where you may be near people like grocery stores or pharmacies.
• They are not a substitute for social distancing. People should still keep 6 feet of distance and stay home to the greatest extent possible.
• They can be made from household items with common materials at low cost.
• They should not be used on children under the age of 2, people who have trouble breathing or anyone who would be unable to remove the covering without assistance.
• They should be routinely washed depending on the frequency of use. You can wash the face covering in the washing machine.
• After you remove a cloth covering from your face, you should be careful not to touch your face and wash your hands immediately after removing.

As of Thursday morning, there were at least 3,651 COVID-19 cases in North Carolina, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported. The death toll also rose overnight, according to officials, who say COVID-19 is responsible for at least 65 deaths in the state.

Iredell County's neighbor to the south, Mecklenburg County, leads the state in its number of cases. At least 861 cases confirmed and nine deaths reported as of April 9.

In Iredell County, health officials are grouping cases into three regions of the county: North, Central and South.

Here's a breakdown of where cases are emerging as of April 9, according to the Iredell County Department of Health:

North Region (zip codes 27020, 27028, 27055, 28625, 28634, 28636, 28660, 28689 ad 28678)

• 11 cases

Central Region (zip codes 27013, 28166, 28677)

• 11 cases

South Region (zip codes 28036, 28115, 28117, 28125)

• 40 cases

Slightly more than half of the cases — 53 percent — are male, county health officials said.
According to county health data, the age group with the most coronavirus cases is 50 to 64 year olds with 40 percent of all Iredell cases, followed by 25 to 49 year olds with 30 percent of the cases. Those 65 and older make up 15 percent of patients in Iredell County.

In an attempt to provide as much information to our readers as possible, Patch is publishing a county-by-county breakdown of the coronavirus cases in 91 of North Carolina's 100 counties, along with the number of cases by county and the number of deaths:

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