Do Forsyth County's Fast-Rising COVID-19 Cases Indicate A Future Outbreak?

A national ranking in The New York Times this week suggests the Piedmont could be the site of the next outbreak of COVID-19.

At the time of publication for this story, the article (which is updated regularly) lists Winston-Salem fourth when it comes to “highest average daily growth rate of cases” or how quickly cases of COVID-19 are rising. North Wilkesboro is second.

And that's alarming to many. Forsyth County Public Health Director Joshua Swift says there are a few things to take into account in terms of the numbers including increased testing by Novant Health and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

Swift also says that until recent upticks, the county's case numbers were comparatively quite low.

“We've seen a drastic increase," he says. "Our cases have doubled in roughly 8-9 days. We were well below the state rate for the number of cases per 100,000. And now we are equal or just right at the same as the state rate.”

According to some of the latest data, the county's rate is 178.3 per 100,000. The state's is 179.8. The question now is whether cases will continue to rise at the same pace, surpassing the North Carolina average.

Regardless, Swift says the increases are concerning and the public health department is working to keep the numbers down. He says they've stepped up outreach efforts to the Hispanic community which now accounts for over 50 percent of the county's cases.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.