ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department reported a new COVID-19-related death of a county resident on Monday, bringing the total to 151 after three deaths last week.

This marks 52 virus deaths since July 23 — roughly the start of the spike associated with the Delta variant — prior to which there hadn’t been a death since June 29. There have now been 100 local deaths in 2021. New COVID-19 cases and deaths began increasing rapidly again in early July, prompting the reinstatement of prior local social distancing and masking guidelines, but spread began to slow in mid-October.

A further breakdown of the deaths shows: 22 African American females, 26 African American males, 3 “other race” females, 1 “other race” male, 2 Hispanic females, 3 Hispanic males, 2 Native American males, 48 Caucasian females and 44 Caucasian males. One hundred and nineteen of the deceased have died in a hospital, 25 have died at another healthcare facility and seven have died outside of a hospital or healthcare facility setting. The age ranges for the deceased are as follows:

Age Range

• 20-39: 5

• 40-49: 8

• 50-59: 24

• 60-69: 40

• 70-79: 37

• 80 & up: 37

The most recently deceased person was an African-American man in the 70-79 age range.

Free Covid-19 testing is being offered at Richmond County Health Department (back parking lot-behind building) located at 127 Caroline Street in Rockingham, North Carolina. Anyone seeking testing should enter the Greene Street entrance and follow signs to the back of the building to the testing center.

Starting Sept. 20, tests will be available from 8:30 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday thru Friday. On Sept. 29 there will be a new COVID-19 testing site at the Cole Auditorium, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday – Friday.

These tests do not require a patient to be experiencing symptoms, to have a doctor’s note, nor to have insurance. The wait time for results is roughly the same as the wait following a test with FirstHealth.