News Flash

For Immediate Release

07/29/2022    

COVID-19 Information

Phone: 980-432-1800
Website: www.rowancountync.gov/COVID-19
Email: covid-19@rowancountync.gov

Vaccine Information

Website: www.rowancountync.gov/COVIDvaccine
Follow Us: www.facebook.com/rowancountyhealth 

Rowan County COVID-19 Case Information: https://bit.ly/rowan-covid19-hub

Rowan’s COVID-19 Cases Continue to Rise

As we approach the end of summer and get ready for school to return, Rowan County continues to see our COVID-19 cases increase. As of this past Wednesday, the CDC reported that there were 498 known cases of COVID-19 in our county and 16 new, confirmed COVID-19 hospital admissions. As far as test results, Rowan is seeing a 29% positivity rate in agency testing.

With our numbers headed in the wrong direction and with the BA.5 variant being so transmissible, it is important that we take the necessary precautions to stop the spread of this virus. First and foremost, it is important that everyone, who is eligible, get vaccinated and/or boosted as soon as they can. For more information on eligibility and the scheduling of vaccines and/or boosters,  please see the CDC’s newest vaccination tool. With this COVID-19 Vaccination Scheduling Tool, you can determine how many total COVID-19 vaccine doses are recommended for you based on the type of vaccine, your age, as well as your immune status. 

In addition to getting vaccinated and/or boosted, it is important that we become more diligent in practicing the 3W’s once again. With frequent hand washing, the practice of social distancing, and the wearing of a face mask once again in public, we can continue to reduce the spread of COVID even more.  

Please keep in mind for many who have become sick recently with COVID-19, particularly those who are fully vaccinated and boosted, their symptoms have been a sore throat, runny nose, and fatigue. Back pain is also a very peculiar, new symptom of COVID-19 that some people are reporting, whereas the once very common loss of taste and/or smell is much less common.

If you do start feeling sick and/or you have been around someone that is positive, we highly encourage you to get tested as soon as possible. If you do test positive, you should isolate yourself for 5 days; and if you have a fever, you should not come out of isolation until you are 24 hours fever-free without the help of medicine.   Once you leave isolation and are fever-free for 24 hours, you still need to continue to wear a mask for another 5 days. By doing this, you will greatly reduce the possibility of spreading the virus to anyone else.  

In closing, please feel free to contact Rowan County Public Health at 980-432-1800 or at  Covid-19@rowancountync.gov if you need FREE at-home tests and/or face masks. Also, if you still need to be vaccinated against COVID-19, please call 704-216-8777 and choose option 3 to make an appointment. Vaccines are currently available for all ages. Although the variants can change and our numbers are currently going up, we do know that vaccinations/boosters do help prevent severe illness, hospitalizations, and death. Unfortunately, for those individuals who are not currently vaccinated, they are the ones that are becoming more ill from this virus.

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PIO Contact:
Amy Smith
704-216-8859
amy.smith@rowancountync.gov

Download Media Release COVID-19 - July 29, 2022 (PDF)