On Tuesday, two people in North Carolina – one over 70 and another over 60 – died of complications from COVID-19, the illness associated with the coronavirus.

Gov. Roy Cooper's Office announced the deaths just before noon on Wednesday.

A Cabarrus County resident who had "several underlying medical conditions" was the first North Carolinian to die. The other death was a person was in their 60s, from Virginia, and was traveling through North Carolina," the governor's office said.

Total NC coronavirus cases, deaths, hospitalizations Cumulative cases Hospitalizations Reporters at WRAL News are tracking real-time updates of the latest cumulative totals of lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths across North Carolina. The number of patients currently hospitalized are reported daily by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services every morning and are a reflection of a daily survey of hospitals. Because the response rate of that survey varies day to day, we're showing a rolling 7-day average of hospitalizations calculated since the state began reporting numbers consistently on March 24.

Graphic: Source: DHHS, county health departmentsGraphic: Tyler Dukes , WRAL

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones. This is a stark warning that for some people COVID-19 is a serious illness. All of us must do our part to stop the spread by staying at home as much as possible and practicing social distancing,” Cooper said.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services recommends that people at high risk of severe illness from COVID-19 stay at home to the extent possible to decrease the chance of infection. On March 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated who is at high risk for severe illness. People at high risk include anyone who:

Is 65 years of age or older

Lives in a nursing home or long-term care facility

Has a high-risk condition that includes:

chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma

heart disease with complications

compromised immune system

severe obesity - body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher

other underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, such as diabetes, renal failure or liver disease

In addition, pregnant women should be monitored closely since they are known to be at risk for severe viral illness. However, data so far on COVID-19 has not shown increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness in pregnant women. While children are generally at lower risk for severe infection, some studies indicate a higher risk among infants.