The first case of COVID-19 in Craven County was documented on March 14, 2020 by the Health Department. The first death was documented on April 9. Four months later, 13 people had succumbed to the virus.
The deaths have doubled that number in the last month and a half (August 11 – September 30) to 39. If we continue at this rate without changing our behavior, it’s likely that our County will lose at least 80 people who didn’t have to die before Thanksgiving.
If you don’t think the virus is real and is spreading rapidly in our community, look at the graph. As of today, Craven County has had 1,648 cases, 1, 443 people recovered, 175 Active cases with 25 of them hospitalized, and 40 people have died. The statistics reflect the information obtained from the Health Department’s website. They do not account for the people who have had symptoms and those who were asymptomatic because they weren’t tested. We personally know a couple who are both sick and tested positive, and have two children who were not tested.
The numbers reflect real people. Our neighbors, friends, and families. You may believe the virus only affects older people. That’s not true. All ages are susceptible to this virus.
This is a public health crisis. People are suffering, small businesses are suffering, and kids want to get back to school.
Please use common sense and take basic safety precautions by wearing a mask, socially distancing, and washing/disinfecting your hands to protect others.
Think about first responders and healthcare workers as each COVID-19 patient poses a risk to them. If CarolinaEast Medical Center becomes overwhelmed with COVID-19 positive patients, our community is in trouble.
Please be kind to others. There’s no need to shame people if they’re wearing a mask or not. There are people who cannot wear a mask due to health issues and we have to respect that. If you can wear a mask, it’s the only preventive measure that’s available right now. Together, we can beat this!
If you lost a loved one from the virus, our prayers are with you. We will be ringing a bell for Craven County residents who lost their lives to the virus on Friday, October 2, at 2 p.m. at the corner of Pollock and Middle Sts.
I ask our Elected Officials to put politics aside and address this worldwide pandemic. It is in our community. Please let us know what the plan is as if it was a hurricane. The virus is invisible, but it’s impact is killing people.
Please let us know your thoughts by sending an email.
Wendy Card