COVID-19 cases rose again in Catawba County as the BA.5 variant continues to spread.
There were 575 new cases reported the week of July 24-30, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. It was the third week in a row to see over 500 new cases.
About 20% of the new cases were reinfections, people who had COVID-19 previously.
There have been 52,576 total COVID-19 cases reported in Catawba County since the pandemic began, according to NCDHHS. Those cases include results from PCR and antigen rapid tests.
One new death was reported in the past week. There have been 621 COVID-19 deaths in Catawba County since the pandemic began.
With high cases in recent weeks, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies Catawba County as a community with a high transmission level. The classification is based on hospital use levels and new COVID-19 cases. More than half of all counties in North Carolina are high transmission areas.
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Over seven days, from July 26 to Aug. 1, 28 more county residents were hospitalized with COVID-19. About 9% of staffed hospital beds in Catawba County were in use by patients with COVID-19, according to the CDC.
As of Wednesday, about 57% of Catawba County’s population is at least partially vaccinated — 91,270 people. About 47,650 have received a booster dose of the vaccine.
Statewide, COVID-19 cases surpassed 3 million and 25,687 people have died. Data shows 1,263 people, on average, were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the week of July 24-30 in North Carolina.
