Onslow County has its first coronavirus death, as hundreds await test results.

An Onslow County resident who died March 22 tested positive Monday for COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus.

The patient was in their 70s and had underlying health issues, county commissioners Chair Jack Bright confirmed. He said the county is declining to release the person’s name out of respect for the family. It is the first COVID-19 death in the coastal county of about 200,000 people, and seventh reported death in North Carolina.

The person was infected by community spread, meaning he or she did not know how he or she was infected, said Victoria Reyes, community relations officer for the Onlsow County Health Department .

According to the county’s website, there are seven positive cases of coronavirus in Onslow County. Two people have recovered. Bright said 250 county residents have tested negative, with 350 more awaiting their results,

Across the state, coronavirus cases have soared, infecting more than 1,300 people as of Monday morning. The state has also reported 137 hospitalizations, as residents prepared Monday for a state-wide stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Roy Cooper.

Under the order, businesses will remain open, and people can still go out to do basic life tasks like getting food and groceries, receiving health care and going outside as long as they maintain at least 6 feet of social distancing, The News & Observer reported.