Orange County surpassed 1,000 total positive coronavirus cases on Tuesday, according to state health officials.

Following the latest update from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Orange County has seen 1,003 total residents test positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the outbreak.

It took the county just 24 days to add another 500 cases, after it surpassed that benchmark on June 19. The county reported its first COVID-19 cases on March 20.

According to demographics from the Orange County Health Department, 38 percent of the county’s recorded cases have come from residents in the 24 to 49 years-old age range. The next highest age ranges are 18 to 24-year-olds with 20 percent and 50 to 64-year-olds with 17 percent.

Shortly after Orange County’s first cases of COVID-19 were reported, its local governments issued a stay at home order on March 25 to try and prevent further spread of the virus. As the state began to emerge from its initial phases of reaction to the pandemic, the county adjusted its state of emergency with amendments, which it said are attempts to protect public health. Orange County’s government issued a face covering mandate shortly before the state government did in June. The most recent amendment came when county officials passed an amendment requiring open restaurants to stop serving dine-in customers food and alcohol at 10 p.m. each night in an effort to prevent coronavirus hot-spots.

As of Tuesday, 23 other North Carolina counties have also hit the threshold of 1,000 cases. Mecklenburg County continues to have the highest total amount, with the state health department reporting more than 15,600 positive cases.

While cases have increased at a higher rate than before, Orange County’s death toll from the virus had remained stable for the last two months. It added a single death to its count on Sunday, bringing its total to 43.

To follow daily updates from the Department of Health and Human Services, visit Chapelboro’s Coronavirus Tracker web page.

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