11-6-20 Haywood County COVID-19 cases up by 57, cumulative total 783

Haywood County -- Haywood County Public Health : FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Nov. 6, 2020

Haywood County Public Health received notice of 57 new cases of COVID-19 since the last press release on Oct. 30, 2020.  As of 5 p.m. Nov. 5, 2020, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recorded 783 cases in Haywood County.

COVID-19 numbers are on the rise again in Haywood County. Since the last press release, positive cases have increased by an average of about 8 new positive cases per day.  There has also been a steady increase in the number of people in isolation and the number in quarantine. The current case pattern is older people catching the virus from family and friends and then staying sicker longer, some requiring hospitalization due to the severity of their symptoms.

“There seems to be a common belief among a lot of folks that dropping your COVID guard around extended family and friends is safe,” said Haywood County Interim Health Director Garron Bradish. “Unfortunately, that’s just not true, as this week’s case patterns show. With the holidays coming up, we’re trying to make people aware that we need to practice all of the now-familiar precautions any time we’re going to be in close contact with people who don’t live in our immediate households, including visits with extended family and friends. If you’re going to be closer than six feet from one another for longer than fifteen minutes, wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth. If you’re not going to wear a mask, keep your distance. Wash your hands frequently, and disinfect surfaces.”

People are encouraged to visit the CDC’s holiday guidance page to get details on how to have a COVID—safe holiday season: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#thanksgiving

As of 5 p.m., Nov. 5, 2020, Haywood County’s COVID-19 working number, representing individuals who are in isolation or quarantine due to exposure, is 191 people. Of these, 63 cases are in isolation after testing positive and 128 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.

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.