ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department reported the 42nd COVID-19-related deaths of a Richmond County resident Friday morning.

This patient died in a local hospital.

The local death count has climbed steadily in recent months. Since Sept. 11, there have been 29 COVID-19-related deaths among those calling Richmond County home. For comparison, Health Director Tommy Jarrell told the Daily Journal that the official count of flu deaths in Richmond County hovers between five and 10 deaths each year.

There were 25 new cases reported Friday afternoon, with 14 people hospitalized and 216 total active cases. There have been 1,982 total cases with 1,724 recoveries and 18,509 negative results.

The 42 COVID-19-related deaths in the county have ranged in age from 31 to 95. A further breakdown of the deaths indicate: seven African American females, six African American males, two Native American males, 16 Caucasian females and 10 Caucasian males. Thirty of the deceased have died in a hospital, eight have died at another healthcare facility and three have died outside of a hospital or healthcare facility setting. Additionally, age ranges for the deceased are as follows:

Age Range:

• 30-39: 1

• 50-59: 3

• 60-69: 11

• 70-79: 11

• 80 & up: 16

Free COVID-19 testing in Richmond County has been expanded to include the Cole Auditorium parking lot and the Ellerbe Middle School parking long.

• The tests will be offered at the Richmond County Health Department’s back parking lot located at 127 Caroline St. Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The free testing will be available through Dec. 31, 2020. Anyone seeking testing should enter the Greene Street entrance and follow signs to the back of building to testing center.

• At the Cole, located at 1042 W. Hamlet Ave. in Hamlet, testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11.

• At Ellerbe Middle, located at 128 Ballard St. in Ellerbe, testing will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Dec. 14 to Dec. 18.

Both sites will be closed for a lunch break from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m.

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. A new location for the tests will be announced each Friday for an unknown number of weeks. The sites will rotate through the county.

The Health Department continues to encourage everyone to practice the three W’s: wear mask, wait six feet apart and wash hands frequently.

“Please join us with your thoughts and prayers for this family,” Jarrell said in a press release.

If you have questions about COVID-19 in general or about your own need to be tested, call the Richmond County COVID-19 Hotline at 910-417-4947.