The Henderson County Department of Public Health received confirmation Saturday of 23 positive cases of COVID-19 linked to residents and staff at Cherry Springs Village, an assisted living community in Hendersonville.

Additional testing was conducted after a single confirmed case was identified April 1, the health department said in a statement Sunday.

Steve Smith, Henderson County health director, said the staff and leadership at Cherry Springs and public health partners Pardee Hospital, AdventHealth and Henderson County Emergency Services have been communicating and prioritizing strategies and actions to care for those affected and to reduce the risks for others at the facility.

All residents and their families have been notified, along with staff.

The health department declined to release any further information Sunday.

The county had 50 cases Sunday, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported, up from 25 Saturday.

The county also reported a total of two deaths during the pandemic, but did not provide details on the second fatality.

Cherry Springs Village, with a capacity for 60 residents, is part of The Affinity Group, which includes the assisted living facility The Gardens of Hendersonville, the assisted living facility The Landings of Mills River, and the assisted living facility Cedar Mountain House and the memory care program Kingsbridge House in Brevard.

The Affinity Group is the seventh-largest provider of assisted living in the United States, according to its website, and has facilities in 101 cities, including Canton and Sylva.

Most facilities are in North Carolina, with others in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia.

A statement from Cherry Springs Village reads:

"A number of residents and staff members at Cherry Springs Village in Hendersonville have tested positive for COVID-19. Those individuals are being treated in isolation by health professionals and the community is under quarantine until further notice.

"Since early February, Cherry Springs Village has adhered to aggressive infection-control policies, in compliance with guidelines set by the CDC and the N.C. State Health Department.

"We will continue to work with the local health department in maintaining the health of our community. We appreciate the support of our families and the public at this time."

The state now has 2,585 cases, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported Sunday at 11 a.m., as well as 261 hospitalizations, down 10 from Saturday, and 40,045 completed tests.

While the majority of cases are being found in those ages 25-49 - 41% - the majority of deaths - 84% - have occurred among those 65 and older.

Buncombe has 28 cases, Transylvania has five and Polk has six.

Nation and world numbers

The CDC reported 304,826 cases in the U.S. Sunday and 7,616 deaths, up from 3,603 Tuesday.

Our Data Central page includes an interactive map that tracks confirmed COVID-19 cases, recoveries, and deaths from around the state, nation, and world.

The map is updated automatically and shows a closeup of each North Carolina county.

Or, zoom out to see numbers from around the nation and the world.