Wake coronavirus cases more than tripled from July to August
August was one of the worst months during the pandemic for coronavirus infections in Wake County, officials said Wednesday.
The county recorded 17,090 cases during the month, more than triple the 4,630 cases in July. County spokeswoman Stacy Beard said August's total topped the number from last December, when the pandemic was peaking in North Carolina and nationally.
"Our area is part of a national trend. We are seeing an uptick because of Delta," said Matt Calabria, chairman of the Wake County Board of Commissioners.
The Delta variant of the virus now accounts for about 99 percent of cases in the U.S.
A growing number of infections in Wake County are so-called "breakthrough" cases in fully vaccinated people, according to Beard. The percentage of breakthrough cases rose from 22.5 percent in early August to 35 percent late in the month.
Sixty-two percent of county residents are fully vaccinated, compared with 51 percent statewide.
The surge in cases has led to lines reappearing at federally funded virus testing sites across the county in recent weeks, and it has strained area hospitals, with more than 300 people being treated for COVID-19 as of last Friday.
"It’s just a very painful, difficult time for all of us," Calabria said.
The Board of Commissioners was expected to get an update on the pandemic Wednesday evening. But Calabria said he doesn't expect any new restrictions will be enacted.
"Our experts hope that it’s going to peak in September and then hopefully stabilize and then ultimately decrease," he said.
Without any new mandates, he urged local residents to continue wearing masks in public and to get vaccinated if they haven't already.
"We all have good reason to be fed up, but the virus is still out there, and the case infection rates and death rates are, unfortunately, good reminders," he said.
To date, 781 Wake County residents have died of COVID-19-related complications.
