COVID-19 UPDATE

The first week after the Thanksgiving holiday, and positive cases of COVID continue to mount in Burke County.

Local public health officials report 52 new cases since Sunday in Burke, with positives now totaling 4-thousand-244.

848 cases are active, while 18 Burke residents are hospitalized with the virus.

McDowell County saw an increase of 95 cases of the virus for a current total of

1-thousand-820 with 248 individuals in quarantine.

In Caldwell County, 58 new cases of coronavirus for a total of 3-thousand-571. Two additional COVID-19 related deaths were reported today. Both patients were over 75 with reported underlying health conditions.

54 cases were reported today in Catawba County for a total of 7-thousand-126 with 61 patients hospitalized.

Outbreak at Rutherford Health Department

The Foothills Health District on Saturday reported an outbreak cluster

of COVID-19 in the Rutherford County Health Department with

18 positive employees. According to Public Health Director Karen

Powell, all regularly scheduled clinics this week have been canceled.

Statutory Rape 

A man has been charged with Statutory Rape. Last week, Morganton

Public Safety arrested 27-year-old Anasatacio Mejia in connection with

the statutory rape of a 15-year-old girl, who has given birth after an

initial investigation from April 2019. Mejia was placed in the Burke County

Jail under no bond with a court appearance scheduled for today. The

investigation is ongoing. The Burke County Child Advocacy Center

assisted with the investigations.

Fire Fatality  

A Denver man died in an early Friday morning mobile home fire. Just

after 3 o’clock, East Lincoln and Denver Fire Departments were dispatched

to 7835 Water Oaks Drive. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire

and during a search of the residence, the body of 41-year-old David

Thomas Sherrill was located. He was the only occupant of the mobile

home. No foul play is suspected and the fire is still under investigation.

The Lincoln County Fire Marshal’s Office, the Sheriff’s Office and SBI also

assisted at the scene.