ROCKINGHAM — This past week, Richmond County jumped from a medium to a high transmission rate for COVID-19.
“Across the state, we’re seeing a rise,” said Health Director Cheryl Speight. “[The BA.5 variant] is very transmissible. We’re not seeing severe illness, but we are seeing a higher degree of transmissibility.”
Speight said the BA-5 variant is a milder form of COVID, especially compared to the Delta variant from last year. A person’s vaccinated status does help limit the severity of a COVID case, Speight said.
In Richmond County, 49% of the population has completed their initial vaccine series. That does not include whether a person has received a booster shot.
As of Wednesday, July 20, there have been 14,026 cases of COVID in Richmond County since the onset of the illness Speight said there have been about 15-20 positive reported cases each day in the past week. There have been 195 deaths in the county.
“A lot of people are now testing from home,” Speight said, which while beneficial, may lead to some inaccurate overall data.
Next week, the health department may potentially receive a large shipment of home tests that can be distributed to the public.
Speight herself tested positive for COVID on Sunday. She’s been working home from all week and isolating herself from other people.
“I am vaccinated and double boosted!” Speight said.
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