CHOWAN Co., N.C. - Albemarle Regional Health Services notified Chowan County officials Thursday of the county's second lab-confirmed positive case of COVID-19.
County officials say while the person is isolation outside of Chowan County and has not been in the area since early March, DHHS County Case Counts are based upon residency.
ARHS is following North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) guidelines on contact tracing of anyone who may have had close contact with the case. Close contacts are defined as having direct contact with, or been within six feet for at least 10 minutes, of a case-patient while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment. Caregivers and household members of the case-patient are considered close contacts.
ARHS is encouraging the community to wear cloth face masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19, especially in situations where social distancing measures are hard to maintain. The new guidelines from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the use of cloth face masks, not surgical masks or N-95 respirators, which should be reserved for healthcare workers and medical first responders.
As of 11 a.m. Thursday, Albemarle Regional Health Services (ARHS) is reporting lab confirmed positive cases of COVID -19 across the region. Case counts include:
- Pasquotank – 10
- Perquimans – 2
- Camden – 0
- Chowan – 2
- Currituck – 3
- Bertie – 11
- Gates – 4
- Hertford – 4
In North Carolina, there are currently 3,651 cases of COVID-19 in 91 counties.
Public health interventions are and will continue to be an important tool to reduce transmission and prevent the spread of COVID-19. ARHS is continuing to ask the community citizens to be vigilant in practicing preventive and safety measures that will help prevent the spread of the virus. These precautions include:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.
- Practice social distancing; stay at least six feet away from others, avoid unnecessary travel, avoid handshakes, hugs and other close contact.
