Haywood County COVID-19 cases increase by 25

Haywood County -- Haywood County Health and Human Services: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Sept. 18, 2020  Haywood County

Public Health received notice of 25 new cases of COVID-19 since the last press release on Sept. 11, 2020.  As of 5 p.m. Sept. 17, 2020, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recorded 567 cases in Haywood County.

Some of the cases are still in the contact tracing process. Of those that have been processed, one is work-related, six are travel-related, seven are close contacts of someone who is COVID-19 positive, five are related to a business cluster, and one does not know how they acquired the virus.

As of 5 p.m., Sept. 17, 2020, Haywood County’s COVID-19 working number, representing individuals who are in isolation or quarantine due to exposure, is 79 people. Of these, 39 cases are in isolation after testing positive and 40 people are in quarantine, having been identified as a close contact of a known case during contact tracing. All are being monitored by the Haywood County COVID-19 contact tracing team.

“As long as case numbers remain plateaued, the risk of outbreak remains. Now is our window of opportunity to stay vigilant, continue to practice social distancing, wear face coverings, and isolate if sick, and avoid further outbreaks,” said Public Health Services Director Patrick Johnson.

“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.”

COVID-19 is most commonly spread through respiratory droplets; North Carolinians should take the same measures recommended 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 face covering over the nose AND mouth, especially when you will be in close contact with people.
Do what you can to NOT be a close contact with anyone
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.

Make sure the information you are getting about COVID-19 is coming 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.