Orange County reached another benchmark on Tuesday, as the county’s total amount of COVID-19 cases surpassed 2,000.

Updated data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services shows 2,025 county residents have tested positive for the coronavirus since the pandemic began. The county passed the 1,000 case total on July 14, taking 43 days to double that amount.

Orange County experienced an increased rate of positive cases in the days leading up to the 2,000-case mark. On Thursday and Friday, the county reported more than 80 cases each day, setting new records for single-day totals. The increases ended a week where more than 400 Orange County residents tested positive for COVID-19.

Since reaching the 1,000-case mark, the age demographics for county residents who caught the coronavirus have skewed younger. On July 14, 18 to 24-year-olds made up 20 percent of the county’s cases while 24 to 49-year-olds made up 38 percent. As of Tuesday, 43 percent of the county’s cases are attributed to 18 through 24-year-olds and 28 percent is attributed to 24 through 49-year-old residents.

County officials have said while UNC is reporting more than 600 cases within its community since the university brought students to campus for the fall semester, all of those cases are not added to Orange County totals. Cases reported by the state Department of Health and Human Services are attributed to counties based on where North Carolinians list their permanent addresses.

Orange County’s death toll has risen slightly as well. NCDHHS and the county health department both report 50 county residents have died due to COVID-19 or complications from the virus, with the latest death added to the count this past weekend. The first Orange County resident death caused by the coronavirus was reported on April 9.

20 of North Carolina’s 99 other counties have also surpassed 2,000 cases among their residents. Mecklenburg County continues to report the most, with more than 24,000 total positive COVID-19 cases and 274 resident deaths.

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

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