COVID-19 Buncombe County Update for Oct. 14, 2020

Many people around town are not wearing face coverings and not social distancing.

As of Oct. 15, 2020, there have been 3,598 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Buncombe County residents. We, as a community, have experienced 94 COVID-related deaths. We have seen our new cases per day on average increase since the end of September. We are currently seeing about 30-32 new cases per day on average.

Additionally, our local percent positivity has experienced an upward trend in the last few weeks. Our current percent positivity is about 3.6%. While this is still below 5%, it is an increase since mid-September and may be indicative of increased viral spread in the community. Our community has administered 80,374 COVID-19 tests. All of this information is a sobering reminder that COVID-19 is still present and is a force to reckon with.

Stacie Saunders, Buncombe County Public Health Director, states, “We are seeing an increase in positive COVID cases as people are moving around more. We are concerned about the direction of these numbers and it’s important to be vigilant in wearing our face coverings and keeping our distance so we can see these numbers come back down. This is a discouraging trend but we know that folks in Buncombe County will do what is right for each other. Right now, the absolute best protection is reducing contact with others outside of your household as much as possible and practicing the 3 Ws. By doing these simple things, we can reduce the spread of COVID-19.”

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 or think you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, visit www.buncombeready.org and click on the COVID-19 Self Checker link to registered for testing at one of these sites.

You also can complete the registration process by calling (828) 419-0095 from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday – Friday. Remember, there is no out-of-pocket cost at any county COVID-19 testing site. If you have insurance, it will be billed to cover the cost of the test. Spanish medical interpreters are at each testing site location to assist as needed.

More information about COVID-19 testing in Buncombe County at www.buncombeready.org.