Residents encouraged to get tested for virus

    Murphy – Although opportunities to be tested for COVID-19 increased, the number of people getting tested did not significantly increase over the last week.
    “I think a lot of it is personal choice,” Health Director David Badger said.
    Two weeks ago, Smoky Mountain Urgent Care in Andrews started offering drive-through COVID-19 mass testing clinics from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. No appointment is needed, and this testing is for both those experiencing symptoms as well as those not experiencing symptoms.
    Badger said there are many reasons why more people are not taking advantage of the mass testing availability, from not experiencing symptoms to just not wanting to be tested. However, he encourages anyone who wants to be tested to get tested, adding that it can make a difference in controlling the spread of the coronavirus.
    Meanwhile, nearby Macon County saw an increase of 42 cases in 48 hours last week, and had 85 total cases by Sunday. Macon County had only recorded 16 total cases the previous Sunday.
    Badger said while what is being seen in Macon County shouldn’t cause Cherokee County residents to do anything different, it should reinforce that we must be careful in how we interact with others.
    Another person in Cherokee County did test positive for COVID-19, bringing the county’s total number of confirmed cases since March to 31, the health department announced Monday. Badger said the individual had no known contact with anyone infected by the virus.
    This individual was tested by their health-care provider and was not experiencing symptoms. The individual has been isolated since being tested. The health department is working to identify their close contacts.
    As of Monday, 26 of the 31 cases recovered from the virus. Of those cases, two are residents of another state. Only one resident has died after testing positive.
    Anyone who becomes sick with a respiratory-type illness is asked to contact their primary care provider or the health department to determine if they need to be tested for COVID-19.
    According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, symptoms range from mild to severe, and may appear two to 14 days after exposure. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and loss of taste or smell.
    Local residents are reminded to continue practicing measures to prevent spreading the virus, like using good hygiene habits, staying home if sick and social distancing. In public places where social distancing is difficult, the CDC recommends wearing a cloth face covering. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of another person for 10 minutes or more.
    As of Monday, North Carolina had 29,263 positive cases of COVID-19 and 898 deaths related to the coronavirus since the beginning of March. Nearly 19,000 of those cases are presumed to be recovered. The state does not take recoveries away from its total cases as it does deaths. More than 400,000 North Carolinians have been tested.