Durham and Wake County COVID-19 cases rise amid five Triangle nursing-home outbreaks
Triangle health departments on Sunday reported 23 new coronavirus cases but no new deaths in the pandemic.
Across the state, more than 4,520 North Carolinians were infected with COVID-19 in 91 counties, according to state Department of Health and Human Services website. Eighty-one people have died, the website states.
The News & Observer is collecting numbers from county health departments that generally show higher numbers of coronavirus infections and deaths because the state takes longer to confirm positive tests.
The News & Observer reported 4,562 cases Sunday, according to state and county reports, with 89 deaths.
Wake County reported 10 new COVID-19 cases Sunday for a total of 467 cases. The state reported Wake had 470 cases.
Durham County reported 13 new cases Sunday, raising its total to 290, according to a county news release.
The state reported that Orange County cases remained at 150. The county did not issue an update, and its website linked back to the state site.
Wake County has one nursing home outbreak at Wellington Rehabilitation and Healthcare in Knightdale. The county announced Sunday that 43 more people, including 25 employees, there have tested positive for COVID-19.
This brings the total number of confirmed cases at Wellington to 47, up from four people testing positive Thursday.
Results are pending on 21 additional tests at the facility.
Durham and Orange counties each have two outbreaks at nursing home facilities, according the state.
The Orange County Health Department has said the outbreaks are at PruittHealth-Carolina Point, near the Durham County line, and at Signature Health in Chapel Hill.
Four residents at PruittHealth-Carolina Point have died.
The News & Observer reported Friday that 86 people, including 20 staff members, had been infected.
Signature Health at Chapel Hill had 31 positive cases.
The Durham County Health Department has not said which facilities have confirmed coronavirus cases.
The News & Observer sent emails to the Health Department on Thursday and Sunday asking for the name of the facilities and other information. The Health Department didn’t respond to those requests.
In a Saturday press release the Durham County Health Department said it is working with a local nursing and rehabilitation facility to investigate an outbreak with “multiple cases” among residents and staff.
