11-20-20 COVID-19 cases increase by 84, total now 931

Haywood County -- Haywood Count North Carolina Health Department: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Nov. 20, 2020

Haywood County Public Health received notice of 84 new cases of COVID-19 since the last press release on Nov. 13, 2020.  As of 5 p.m. Nov. 19, 2020, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services has recorded 931 cases in Haywood County.

Aside from clusters and outbreaks at long term care facilities, the ongoing trend in new cases seems to be people letting their guard down around people close to them and inadvertently sharing more than friendship. That false sense of security around people outside of our own households is enabling the spread of COVID-19. 

“With our rapidly rising case count this week and holidays coming right up, the key message this week is simple: please wear a mask and keep at least six feet of distance any time you’re going to be around anyone who doesn’t live in your household, no matter how well you know them, no matter whether they are close friends, coworkers, extended family, or just people on the street. It’s the only tool we have right now to minimize rapid spread in our schools, workplaces, churches, families, and community. We can’t mandate a sense of personal responsibility; it’s up to each individual to understand the moral imperative of practicing these simple interventions to keep their loved ones safe and minimize the impact of the pandemic on their community,” said Interim Haywood County Health Director Garron Bradish.

Guidance for safe holiday celebrations can be found on North Carolina’s COVID-19 web page: https://files.nc.gov/covid/documents/guidance/NCDHHS-Interim-Guidance-for-Thanksgiving.pdf

As of 5 p.m., Nov. 19, 2020, Haywood County’s COVID-19 working number, representing individuals who are in isolation or quarantine due to exposure, is 302 people. Of these, 90 cases are in isolation after testing positive and 212 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.