One COVID-19-Related Death Reported

Caldwell County Health Department learned of a COVID-19-related death today and confirmed an outbreak.

The patient was between the ages of 65 and 74, was reported to have underlying health conditions, and had been hospitalized.

The outbreak is at Jonas Hill Hospital. In congregate settings, an outbreak of COVID-19 is defined as two or more laboratory-confirmed cases within a 28-day period.

Twenty-nine cases — 14 in the 28645 Zip code, 12 in 28630, and one in 28601 — were reported. Two patients are under the age of 17; three are between 18 and 24; 10 are between 25 and 49; 11 patients are between 50 and 64; one is between 65 and 74; and two are over the age 75.

Due to the predicted inclement weather, the Health Department has rescheduled all of Thursday’s vaccine appointments.

Sign up for the Health Department’s vaccine waiting list at vaccine.caldwellcountync.org. To learn more about being vaccinated by Caldwell UNC Health Care, visit YourShot.org or call 828-757-6487.

Additional Information

A significant icing event is predicted for Caldwell County. Precipitation in the county should begin as rain between midnight and 3 a.m. with ice beginning between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Thursday. The storm has the potential to cause dangerous travel conditions and significant power outages.

Please prepare for the pending storm.

• If someone in your home relies on electric medical equipment, make sure you are registered with your local power company and community emergency program. Also ensure that necessary medical supplies (including oxygen) are available at your home.
• Have a secondary non-electric heater, like a fireplace, wood stove and/or properly vented oil or gas heaters/stoves. Have each cleaned regularly, and store fuel safely. For oil or gas stoves, make sure shut-off valves are installed by a qualified technician.

If a power outage occurs:

• Make sure the outage goes beyond your home before reporting the outage. Check breakers or fuses and the power lines to your house. If the lines are damaged or down, stay back and call your electric company, do not call 911 for non-emergency reasons.
• Stay warm... In addition to dressing in layers and huddling under extra blankets, hang darker blankets on windows to draw in heat.
• Keep doors and windows closed and use towels to block drafts. If necessary, move to your basement, which may be more insulated.
• Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Never use gas generators, camping stoves, or barbeques indoors; keep them in well ventilated areas; and don’t use them for heating your home.
• Listen for updates. Listen to the news on a battery-powered or hand-cranked device. If you’re using a cellphone, choose texting over calling to keep phone lines free, or use your landline. Only call 911 for emergencies.
• Prevent additional damage. Unplug appliances and electronics to avoid a surge when the power comes back on; leave one lamp on so you know when the power comes back. If you have electric heat, keep all taps on a slow drip to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
• If you turned off the main power switch, make sure appliances and electronics are unplugged before you turn it back on to prevent power surge damage. Wait for the electrical system to stabilize before reconnecting; start with the heating system, then appliances.