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WINTON – The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases has doubled to four in Hertford County.

As part of their daily Situation Report on Tuesday (March 31), Hertford County Emergency Management listed four confirmed cases. The county’s first case was confirmed on March 23, followed by a second case later in the week.

Albemarle Regional Health Services (ARHS) will continue to closely monitor additional cases in Hertford County, but said it will no longer publish further press releases for each individual case due to community transmission of COVID-19 throughout the county. Case counts can be found at https://www.ncdhhs.gov/covid-19-case-count-nc.

ARHS is following North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services guidelines on contact tracing of all individuals who may have had close contact with lab confirmed cases. Close contacts are defined as having direct contact with, or been within six feet for at least 10 minutes, of a case-patient while not wearing recommended personal protective equipment. Caregivers and household members of the case-patient are considered close contacts.

Health officials remind the public that most people who get COVID-19 will recover without needing medical care. Some people are at higher risk of getting very sick with COVID-19. People at higher risk should call their doctor if they develop symptoms of fever or cough. You are at higher risk if you:

Are 65 years or older;

Live in a nursing home or long-term care facility;

Have a high-risk condition that includes chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, heart disease with complications, compromised immune system, severe obesity — body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher, other underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as diabetes, renal failure or liver disease, and women who are pregnant should be monitored since they are known to be at risk for severe viral illness.

Most people do not need a test. When you leave your home to get tested, you could expose yourself to COVID-19 if you do not already have it. If you do have COVID-19, you could give it to someone else, including people who are high risk. Your doctor can help you decide if you need a test.

There is no treatment for COVID-19. For people with mild symptoms who don’t need medical care, getting a test will not change the course of treatment.

NCDHHS has expanded testing criteria for COVID-19. Only those who meet the following criteria should ask their doctor or local health department about being tested for COVID-19 through the NCSLPH:

Have fever or lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case within the past 14 days; or have a fever and lower respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) and a negative rapid flu test.

To slow the spread of COVID-19 and reduce the number of people infected, communities should be following the guidance set by local, state, and federal officials to reduce frequency of contact and increase physical distance between persons, thereby reducing the risks of person-to-person transmission.