WADESBORO — The Anson County Health Department is warning of the “alarming” number of new COVID-19 cases, and has reported almost daily deaths from the virus over the last week.

From Aug. 25 to Sept. 3 (the most recent data as of Tuesday morning), there were 181 new cases and 5 new COVID-19-related deaths. During that period, the number of active cases increase by from 128 to 254 (a 198.4% increase). Anson County continues to have a “high” rate of community transmission of the virus by CDC metrics, just as all other counties in North Carolina do. Anson has had a positivity rate of 20.04% out of the individuals tested from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7, according to the CDC.

Like much of the rest of the country and region, there has been a sharp uptick in new cases and positivity rates since early July. In Anson County, 27.5% of the eligible population (those older than 12 years of age) is fully vaccinated, and 39.5% have at least one dose.

“We continue to see an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases in the county caused by the Delta variant. Unfortunately, many of these are occurring in children,” said Anson County Health Director Fred Thompson in an email.

On Sept. 2, Anson had 37 new cases. Of those, 14 were in children 17 and younger, according to Thompson.

“Our unvaccinated adults are spreading the virus to our children. It is critical that if you are going to be indoors, and in close contact with unvaccinated children, you mask up – especially if you are unvaccinated,” Thompson said. “Please remember that children under the age of 12 are not yet eligible for vaccination. It is up to all of us, as responsible adults, to protect our children from the virus.”

The Health Department is vaccinating people every Tuesday at their office at 110 E. Ashe St. in Wadesboro from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. No appointment is needed.

For more information, contact Communicable Disease Nurse Misty Puckett at (704) 994-3355 or mpuckett@ansoncountync.gov