In Forsyth County, Testing Improves But Clusters Of COVID-19 Raise Case Count

Forsyth County reported 32 new cases of COVID-19 Thursday, many of which are due to an outbreak at a meat processing facility.

The outbreak at the Tyson meat plant in Wilkesboro is one of several at meat facilities across the state. 

Infectious disease expert Dr. Christopher Ohl says containing the spread is a challenge.

“It's a little bit like playing a game of whack-a-mole, you know, [a] cluster comes up over here, boom, we try to get in and knock it down, and [then a] cluster over here," he says. "And so we're working on that, but it does keep us busy in public health and medicine.”

Ohl did share some good news at a weekly update. He says testing capacity has improved and that numbers of hospital admissions in Forsyth County continue to go down.

As a result, hospitals in the Triad are preparing to conduct elective surgeries once again. Ohl says Wake Forest Baptist Health is able to test all those coming in for procedures as well as women who are going into labor.

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.