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COVID-19 continues to claim lives here in the Roanoke-Chowan area.

There were four local deaths – one in each R-C area county – during the week of Oct. 17-22. They came on the heels of five local deaths the previous week.

Albemarle Regional Health Services (ARHS) reported deaths in Bertie, Gates, and Hertford counties. The Bertie and Hertford deaths were among individuals over the age of 65. The death in Gates County was an individual in the 50-64 age range.

The Northampton County Health Department reported one, COVID-related death last week.

The death toll in the Roanoke-Chowan area now stands at 216 since the pandemic began in March of last year. Seventy-three of those deaths have occurred in Northampton County followed by Hertford County (71), Bertie County (53), and Gates County (19).

Meanwhile, the number of active cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19 fell in all four local counties last week as follows:

Hertford County: 38 (a decrease of 10 cases from the previous week)

Northampton County: 36 (-9)

Gates County: 19 (-8)

Bertie County: 17 (-28)

In its weekly report, ARHS noted the number of residents fully vaccinated in its eight-county district rose to nearly 62 percent (61.90%). The report shows a total of 84,459 individuals fully vaccinated (an increase of 787 people since the previous week).

Locally, fully vaccinated individuals in the ARHS region include 5,518 in Bertie (+19 from last week’s report); 4,912 in Hertford (+5); and 3,898 in Gates (+23).

As of Friday, Oct. 22, ARHS has also administered 1,522 booster doses (third shots of the Pfizer vaccine; an increase of 123 from the previous week).

“The FDA and CDC have officially granted authorization for COVID-19 booster doses of Moderna and Johnson and Johnson,” said ARHS Health Director R. Battle Betts, Jr. “We are now working to update our local standing orders and finalize local dispensing plans. ARHS is preparing for the expansion of our vaccine campaign and will announce details this week, including who is eligible, along with clinic and appointment information. We have plenty of vaccine to meet the demand.

“In addition, we are continuing to wait for approvals of the Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11 years of age. Widespread vaccination is a critical tool to help stop the pandemic,” Betts added.

For more information about any of the COVD-19 vaccines offered locally, those in the R-C area can call the Gates County Health Dept. (252-357-1380), the Bertie County Health Dept. (252-794-5322), or the Hertford County Health Dept. (252-862-4054). Those offices can also be contacted for COVID testing.

Northampton County residents can call 252-534-5841 to schedule an appointment for either a COVID-19 vaccine or test.