Graham no longer lowest in state
An initial report of two staff members and only one resident of Graham Healthcare & Rehabilitation affected by COVID-19 quickly grew in number last week.
The Graham County Department of Health and Human Services issued a press release Tuesday, indicating that 17 residents and seven staff members had tested positive for the coronavirus, bringing the total number affected at the facility to 24.
As of Tuesday, one of the residents was hospitalized.
The release also noted that Graham Healthcare & Rehabilitation has been following strict COVID-19 protocols – including the state mandate of no visitors – and routine testing of both staff and residents has been occurring.
An announcement from the Cherokee County Department of Health and Human Services last week indicated that three of its residents were workplace-contacts for Graham’s long-term care facility. Each of the Cherokee County patients developed symptoms, but none were hospitalized and all three are isolated.
New data
Graham’s positive case count has leapt from 57 on Sept. 1 to 81 on Tuesday, which is the biggest spike for the county since the pandemic began.
The uptick in positive cases has removed Graham County from its status as the lowest in the state. Madison County now has the lowest number of reported cases, with 74 at The Graham Star’s press deadline.
The county health department released its newest age and gender data for positive tests Sept. 3.
The 25-49 age group makes up 43 percent of the positive tests – which is up from 40 percent last week –, while those between 50-64 are now 25 percent (down one percent) and the 65-74 age group is 16 percent (down four percent).
The data released Sept. 3 stated that 52 percent of the county’s positive cases are male and 41 percent are female. Seven percent were marked as “unknown.”
Those numbers were 54, 40 and six percent last week, respectively.
Cherokee Scout Staff Writer Samantha Sinclair also contributed to this report.