Haywood County reports 74 new COVID-19 cases in past week

Press release from Haywood County Public Health:

Haywood County Public Health received notice of 74 new cases of COVID-19 since the last press release on July 24.  As of this release, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recorded 268 cases in Haywood County.

Several of the cases are still in the contact tracing process. Through information provided by the cases that have been interviewed, it was determined that they were exposed in the following manner: 18 cases are work-related including several health care workers, two are out-of-state travel-related, two are event or get-together related, eight are residents in a congregate living facility, 17 are close contacts of someone who is COVID-19 positive and nine do not know how they acquired the virus. 

As of 10 a.m., July 31, 2020, Haywood County’s COVID-19 working number, representing individuals who are currently in isolation or quarantine due to exposure, is 198 people.  Of these, 53 cases are in isolation after testing positive and 145 people are in quarantine because they have been identified as close contacts of known cases during contact tracing efforts. All are being monitored by the Haywood County COVID-19/contact tracing team.

“If you have symptoms such as headache, fever, cough, shortness of breath or loss of sense of smell don’t wait, get tested,” said Johnson.  “If your doctor isn’t providing testing, contact one of the local urgent cares.  Call first for pre-emptive screening and to find out what the current protocols are for when you arrive. It’s also important to understand that anyone tested for COVID-19, even as a standard pre-operative precaution, needs to stay home and self-quarantine away from other family members as able until test results are received, and then follow instructions according to the test results.”

Because COVID-19 is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets, North Carolinians should take the same measures that health care providers recommend in order to prevent the spread of the flu and other viruses, ESPECIALLY during the phased reopening.  These measures include: 

• Practice social distancing. To prevent community spread we need everyone to take social distancing seriously! 
• Wear a mask, indoors and outside, especially when you will be in close contact with people.
• Wash your hands regularly with soap and running water for 20 seconds.
• Regularly sanitize frequently-touched surfaces.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Cover coughs and sneezes, preferably with your elbow to avoid transferring germs to your hands.
• Stay home if you are sick.

It is important to make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming directly from reliable sources like the CDC and NCDHHS. For more information, please visit the CDC at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus, NCDHHS at www.ncdhhs.gov/coronavirus, and Haywood County at https://www.haywoodcountync.gov/684/Coronavirus-Covid-19-Information.  Residents are encouraged to call 828-356-2019 for questions or concerns related to COVID-19.