Northampton County has 26 coronavirus cases, and all but two come from the same place
Updated March 29 at 4:30 p.m.
Northampton County saw its COVID-19 case total jump to 26 this weekend, and county officials said all but two of its cases come from the same facility, according to a news release.
County health director Andy Smith would not identify the facility, but said in an email to The News & Observer that none of the people who tested positive have had serious complications.
“All of the cases are mild, and many of the individual cases were asymptomatic as we tested everyone in the facility to ensure the health of all,” Smith said Saturday night.
Those asymptomatic include three staff members, who have been isolated, he said.
Information released by the county health department Saturday said 20 new positive tests were recorded, adding to the five cases already on record for Northampton. The first case was reported Monday, March 23.
A staff member at Pine Forest Rest Home confirmed the outbreak to The News & Observer, saying 22 residents and three staff members had tested positive for COVID-19.
The News & Observer is not naming the staff member, who was not authorized to speak on behalf of the facility.
The home administrator did not respond to several calls from The News & Observer.
There are two cases in Northampton County not linked to the facility. One is a person who traveled out of state and is currently being isolated at home, health officials said.
On Sunday, the health department announced a 26th case, which isn’t related to the nursing home nor the out-of-state case. The person was tested by a private provider, according to the department’s Facebook page. The person is “doing well.”
All of individuals who are confirmed positive for coronavirus are being isolated, the release said. The number of cases could rise as other individuals have been tested with results pending, the health department said in a news release.
Three residents were initially taken to a hospital for observation, Smith told The News & Observer Sunday, but are in the process of being discharged.
On Sunday, Smith said if the first two people who tested positive a week ago – one staffer and one resident – continue to show no signs of the disease by Monday, they will be considered fully recovered.
Smith said the preliminary investigation suggests the virus may have spread after one of the residents transferred in from another facility. He declined to name that facility but said it is in another state. He and other health officials have He and the county health department director have reached out to the facility.
“I can tell you honestly we have identified every single person, and everybody is going to be tested by tomorrow,” Smith said Sunday.
Northampton County is located in the northeastern part of North Carolina, along the North Carolina-Virginia border and has a population of about 20,000 people.
North Carolina surpassed 1,000 COVID-19 cases Saturday in more than 70 counties.
A stay-at-home order takes effect in North Carolina Monday at 5 p.m.
This story was originally published March 28, 2020 at 7:56 PM with the headline "Northampton County has 26 coronavirus cases, and all but two come from the same place."