ROCKINGHAM — The Richmond County Health Department reported the 68th and 69th COVID-19-related deaths of a Richmond County resident Monday morning.

Again, these deaths occurred within the previous 24 hours, the same story for previous two deaths reported on Thursday last week and the three reported on Jan. 15. Three days last week — Tuesday the 19th, Wednesday the 20th and Thursday the 21st — had two deaths reported in the same day, though Tuesday and Wednesday the deaths had occurred outside of the previous 24 hours.

There have now been 17 COVID deaths in the new year, for an average of 1.47 deaths per day as of Jan. 25.

Breakdown of local impact

The county reached the 50-death benchmark Dec. 30 when a death from earlier in the month was reported. The first COVID-19-related death came on April 10, and there were only 13 by Sept. 11.

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.

The Health Department reports deaths as “COVID-19-related” not “COVID-19-only” deaths — meaning that other comorbidities may have been at play, but that the coronavirus was a factor in the person dying, Jarrell explained.

The 69 COVID-19-related deaths in the county have ranged in age from 31 to 95. A further breakdown of the deaths indicate: 13 African American females, 11 African American males, one “other race” female, one “other race” male, one Hispanic female, two Native American males, 22 Caucasian females and 18 Caucasian males. Forty-nine of the deceased have died in a hospital, 16 have died at another healthcare facility and four 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: 8

• 60-69: 18

• 70-79: 21

• 80 & up: 21

Free Covid-19 testing will be offered at Richmond County Health Department (back parking lot-behind building) located at 127 Caroline Street in Rockingham, North Carolina through January 2021. Anyone seeking testing should enter the Greene Street entrance and follow signs to the back of building to testing center. The times available are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 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.