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On Wedneday, April 28, Dare County announced for the first time the number of COVID-19 tests made in the county.

In her video update, Sheila Davies, director of the Dare County Department of Health and Human Services, said 357 tests were recorded for Dare County.

One of the metrics that the state will use to determine how to proceed with lifting restrictions is the percentage of positive tests to the tests administered. As of last week, the Dare percentage was 0.96%. Statewide the percentage was 1.04%

Davies will update the number every Tuesday.

On Friday, Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, announced that lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 will be made available by zip code. Based on the standards from the National Center for Health Statistics, no information will be shown for zip codes with less than 500 people and less than five lab-confirmed cases. Uploading data was happening Friday afternoon. The information will be available on the state’s COVID-19 website, called the “Dashboard.”

Again, Cohen expressed optimism that metrics will be leveled or declining for the state’s Phase I recovery to proceed in the coming week. On Friday, May 1, the cumulative number of lab-confirmed cases in the state was 10,932, an increase of 414 cases. Deaths due to COVID-19 reached 399, showing 21 more people perished in one day. Hospitalizations declined by one to 546.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced new COVID-19 symptoms. Previously, only three symptoms were monitored for the virus: fever, cough and shortness of breath. The new symptoms are chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.

On Thursday, April 30, Dare announced one more lab-confirmed case in the county, bringing the Dare total to 16. The new case comes after 18 consecutive days of no new lab-confirmed cases.

Testing for coronavirus takes place in four places in Dare County:

Beach Medical Center, 4917 C. Croatan Hwy., Suite 1B, Nags Head. 252-261-4187. Call ahead. The center will see walk-ins but is not accepting new Medicare or Medicaid patients.

The Outer Banks Hospital Urgent Care, 5112 N. Croatan Hwy., Kitty Hawk. Dial 252-449-7474 for an extensive message. Try scheduling an appointment at theouterbankshospital.com.

The Outer Banks Hospital Urgent Care and Family Medicine, 4923 S. Croatan Hwy., milepost 14.5, Nags Head. 252-261-8040. Call ahead for screening.

Surf Pediatrics and Medicine. Two locations: 400 S. Croatan Hwy., Kill Devil Hills. 252-449-5200 and 5107 N. Croatan Hwy., Kitty Hawk, 242-255-5321. For adults, the practice is taking only established patients, but for those under 18 years of age new patients are seen. The Kill Devil Hills office is for patients who are sick; the Kitty Hawk office is for those who are well.

The Dare County Division of Public Health does not test. The COVID-19 website for the county under Testing and Trends states: “Dare County Department of Health & Human Services is not a primary care provider and therefore does not provide testing. Testing for COVID-19 is conducted as part of a clinical visit and assessment. The Dare County Department of Health & Human Services coordinates testing between primary care providers and the North Carolina Division of Public Health and the state lab as necessary.”

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