As of Friday, the Wayne County Health Department has received notification of 788 total positive cases of COVID-19. 59 of these cases are attributed to congregate living facilities, 469 cases were offenders from Neuse Correctional Institute, and 260 cases are from outside any type of congregate living areas. 571 of the 788 cases are estimated to have recovered from COVID-19. On May 13, 2020, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety announced that all offenders housed at the Neuse Correctional Institute are considered recovered, which increased the county’s estimated recovery numbers significantly. The current estimated total of active cases in Wayne County is 202.

The health department received notice of two additional COVID-19 related deaths this week. The first individual was from a long term care facility and passed away on May 7, 2020. This individual was in their early-60s with underlying medical conditions. The second individual passed away on May 12, 2020 and was in their mid-50s with underlying medical conditions. The current total number of COVID-19 related deaths in Wayne County is 15.

Residents can do their part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by continuing to wear a face covering in public, wait 6 feet apart from others, and wash your hands often. The Wayne County Health Department continues to provide daily updates to case numbers via our data dashboard at www.waynegov.com/coronavirus.