WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (WGHP) — Out of North Carolina’s 100 counties, there are 13 that rank among counties with the highest COVID-19 levels in the country, according to the CDC.
The CDC offers a county-by-county map that color-codes every county in the United States as “low,” “medium” or “high” levels of COVID-19 community transmission.
The CDC determines the community level by counting the number of new COVID-19 cases, hospital admissions and hospital beds in use by COVID-19 patients.
The CDC recommends but does not require wearing a mask within counties in the “high” category.
Much of North Carolina falls into either the low or medium categories, but there are 13 counties that rank high. Seven of those high-ranking counties are in the FOX8 viewing area, and, out of those seven, five are in the Piedmont Triad proper.
Within the Piedmont Triad, the CDC reports the counties with “high” COVID-19 transmission are Alamance, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry and Yadkin counties. Alleghany and Davie, both ranked high, are part of the FOX8 viewing area but not technically part of the Piedmont Triad.
Guilford, Davidson and Wilkes counties are ranked medium. Caswell, Montgomery, Randolph and Rockingham counties are ranked low.
Beyond the Triad, North Carolina’s other high-ranking counties are Durham, Granville, Hyde, Person, Pitt, Vance and Warren counties.
Across the United States, there are 241 counties (about 7.5% of counties) in the high category, 736 (about 22.8%) in the medium category and 2247 (69.7%) in the low category.
For contrast, there are 16 states that have no high-ranking counties (Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming). Many others have three or fewer, including Virginia where only Horry County, home of Myrtle Beach, is in the high category.