From Staff Reports 

As of midday Aug. 24, Bncombe County had recorded nine additional coronavirus deaths in county residents over the last seven days, which raised to 16 the total of new deaths reported over the last two weeks, according to county health officials.

During the latest seven-day period, 2,298 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Buncombe residents, which was an increase of 206 more than the prior week, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported.

Moreover, of that total, 64 people in Buncombe have died as a result of coronavirus, the state noted.

In the previous one-week period, Buncombe reported 53 deaths, which was an increase of seven over the same period three weeks ago.

In an Aug. 25 story, the Asheville Citizen Times reported, “Buncombe health officials did not immediately respond to a Citizen Times email asking how many of the deaths reported this week were tied to long-term care facilities. But health director Stacie Saunders previously said that 43 of the 53 deaths reported as of Aug. 18 were of long-term care facility residents. She also connected a recent spike in deaths to such facilities when speaking to county commissioners Aug. 18.

“There are active outbreaks at 11 local long-term care establishments — nine nursing homes and two residential care facilities — according to a state report on congregate care outbreaks last updated Aug. 21,” the ACT noted.

Meanwhile, Asheville television station WLOS (News 13) reported on Aug. 26 that, “as of Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, North Carolina health officials say there have been a total of 158,985 lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the state, an increase of 1,244 cases from Tuesday’s report. In addition, the state reports 2,606 virus-related deaths and 1,004 individuals are currently hospitalized.”

Also, News 13 reported, “The state reports there are 136,630 presumed recoveries” as of Aug. 24. “This data is expected to be updated by 4 p.m. each Monday.”

In addition, the state reported that 2,121,001 tests have been completed to date.

Following is a summary as of Aug. 26, on COVID-19 cases and deaths in Western North Carolina (with numbers subject to change), as reported by News 13:

• Avery: 149 cases, 0 deaths, according to the county (121 cases, 0 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Buncombe: 2,310 cases, 67 deaths, according to the county (2,314 cases, 67 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Cherokee: 386 cases, 5 deaths, according to the county (376 cases, 5 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Clay: 104 cases, 2 deaths, according to the county (83 cases, 1 death, according to NCDHHS)

• Graham: 50 cases, 0 deaths, according to NCDHHS

• Haywood: 491 cases, 28 deaths, according to the county (491 cases, 25 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Henderson: 1,638 cases, 56 deaths, according to the county (1,667 cases, 59 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Jackson: 525 cases, 7 deaths, according to the county (473 cases, 7 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Macon: 530 cases, 4 deaths, according to the county (521 cases, 2 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Madison: 58 cases, 1 death, according to NCDHHS

• McDowell: 744 cases, 25 deaths, according to the county (762 cases, 24 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Mitchell: 144 cases, 4 deaths, according to the county (89 cases, 3 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Polk: 232 cases, 6 deaths, according to the county (214 cases, 6 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Rutherford: 934 cases, 20 deaths, according to the county (906 cases, 18 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Swain: 123 cases, 3 deaths, according to the county (125 cases, 3 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Transylvania: 237 cases, 1 death, according to the county (215 cases, 2 deaths, according to NCDHHS)

• Yancey: 159 cases, 1 death, according to the county (87 cases, 0 deaths, according to NCDHHS)