ROCKINGHAM — A seventh Richmond County resident has died from COVID-19, the second in two days, according to the Richmond County Health Department.

The deceased was diagnosed with the virus earlier this month and passed on Tuesday, June 30. This person was being hospitalized outside of Richmond County, while the person who passed away on Monday was being hospitalized at a local hospital.

The ages of those who have died from the virus in Richmond County range from 31 to 92, according to the Health Department. The Health Department only reports COVID-19 cases and deaths of those who are residents of Richmond County.

Health Director Tommy Jarrell urges the public to follow the “Three W’s” which are: wear a mask, wait six feet apart, and wash hands frequently. This focus comes days after Governor Roy Cooper’s face mask requirement went into effect, which makes it a chargeable offense for a person to enter a business without a mask after that business has told them they can’t come in.

“According to evidence, it is clear that mask help to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Jarrell said in an email Tuesday. “None of us know who we are going to contact while in public so I encourage each of us to do all we can to prevent the spread. Personally, I would hate to know I might be carrying the virus and transmit it to another person.”