State reports first prison death and continued spread. One town is relaxing restrictions.
Coronavirus cases in North Carolina rose past 7,000 Wednesday and the state reported the first state prison inmate death, while leaders of at least one North Carolina town are optimistic that the illness has peaked and that it’s safe to relax some restrictions meant to slow its spread.
A prisoner at Pender Correctional Institution in Burgaw died from COVID-19 complications, according to the state Department of Public Safety. He was in his 50s and suffered from unrelated health issues, the state said. The inmate began showing symptoms on April 8 and was quickly isolated, DPS reported. Testing came back positive two days later, and the inmate’s condition worsened.
“Any death is a tragedy, and we must continue our efforts to do all we can to try and flatten the curve of COVID-19 in Prisons,” Todd Ishee, commissioner of prisons, said in a news release. “The health and safety of the staff and the men and women in our custody is of paramount importance.”
The updated case total shows a continued trend of slower spread statewide but a greater number of daily fatalities than in recent days.
The state Department of Health and Human Services reported 7,220 confirmed cases of COVID-19, up 269 from Tuesday’s total. The death toll in North Carolina reached 242 people, up 29 from Tuesday. This reflects a higher growth than as recently as Saturday, when new fatalities came in at a dozen.
The virus has proved especially fierce in congregate-living situations such as nursing homes and prisons. DHHS reported a total of 1,264 known cases of COVID-19 in nursing homes and residential care facilities in the state, and 109 deaths as of Wednesday. There are 40 outbreaks at nursing homes and 14 outbreaks at residential care facilities, according to DHHS.
On Wednesday, Harnett County announced that three cases of COVID-19 infections have been confirmed at Universal Healthcare Lillington, a skilled nursing facility.
Coronavirus in prisons
Statewide, DPS has tested 723 inmates at its prisons, and received 444 positive results. The highest volume of testing has come from Neuse Correctional in Goldsboro due to an outbreak there.
More than 450 of Neuse’s 770 inmates have tested positive for COVID-19, making it one of the hardest-hit prisons in the nation. State officials are now testing every inmate there, and more results are pending.
Twenty two staff members at Neuse also have tested positive for the coronavirus, prison spokesman John Bull said Wednesday. That has increased the staffing challenges at Neuse, which — like many state prisons — has wrestled with high officer vacancy rates.
On Monday, prison officials announced that they have temporarily closed Johnston Correctional Institution in Smithfield and are sending that prison’s employees to work at Neuse, 24 miles to the southeast.
State officials say they are working as rapidly as possible to curb the spread of the virus in Neuse and all the other state prisons.
They’ve suspended visitation, released some inmates early and are checking the temperatures of all staff members before they enter prisons each day.
The state women’s prison in Raleigh has also seen an outbreak, and two federal prisons in North Carolina also have cases. For more than a month, inmates’ advocates have repeatedly pushed for early release for nonviolent offenders.
Six employees at the Durham County Sheriff’s Office who work at the county jail have tested positive for the coronavirus but none of the inmates has been infected, a department official said Wednesday.
The case count from DHHS represents the total number of people statewide who have tested positive for the virus. Not all people with COVID-19 are tested, so the number does not reflect everyone who has gotten sick. So far, North Carolina has conducted 90,336 tests, up more than 7,000 from Tuesday.
Access to testing
Access to testing remains a sticking point in the state and nationwide. The NC Nurses Association released a DHHS report Tuesday recommending stay-home restrictions be kept intact, pointing out that the state has yet to provide easy and reliable testing or see a sustained drop in its caseload.
Also, the nurses association said, much of the state is still seeing a dangerously low supply of personal protective equipment, or PPE. DHHS reports that North Carolina has received more masks than it has requested from the national stockpile, but not enough gloves, gowns, coveralls or face shields. On Tuesday, Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry said in a press conference that gowns are needed the most.
Of the infected residents statewide, 434 are hospitalized. The virus has now spread to 93 of 100 counties.
The News & Observer is keeping a separate case count based on reports from DHHS and county health departments, which tends to be higher because the state takes longer to confirm cases. As of Wednesday night, that tally stood at 7,494 cases and 266 deaths.
Help with food
With non-essential businesses closed and residents under a stay-home order through at least April 29, the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday it will start a public-private partnership using drones to deliver food and medical supplies.
In Holly Springs, for example, the private drone service Flytrex will take meals from multiple restaurants into nearby neighborhoods. This is designed to make it easier for residents to stay home.
“North Carolina has been a leader in demonstrating how drones can help people in times of crisis,” said State Transportation Secretary Eric Boyette in a news release. “We look forward to putting this technology into productive use as we work to help citizens and medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Families relying on food stamps will receive additional benefits during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday. The USDA said that benefit increases reached $2 billion per month for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, an increase of 40% overall since the national emergency began.
The USDA said that benefit increases reached $2 billion per month for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, a 40% boost overall since the national emergency began.
“These are unprecedented times for American families who are facing joblessness and hunger. USDA is providing a 40% increase in SNAP benefits to ensure that low-income individuals have enough food to feed themselves and their families during this national emergency,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said in a statement.
The state DHHS said that as a result of the added help, families whose children are eligible for free and reduced-price lunch at school will receive $250 in benefits per child, provided in two installments, with the possibility of an additional benefit if North Carolina schools are closed beyond May 15.
There is no application process to receive the benefits, which will be issued according to state Department of Public Instruction files.
More than 591,000 households in North Carolina received SNAP benefits in January, according to the USDA. The state DHHS says more than 800,000 children receive free or reduced-priced meals at school.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper says that he’ll announce this week whether he’ll reopen K-12 public schools that he’s previously ordered to remain closed through May 15. Some state and local leaders said Wednesday they expect Cooper will keep schools closed because social distancing won’t be possible on campuses.
Relaxing restrictions in one coastal town
At least one North Carolina community plans a slight relaxation of restrictions. Beaufort announced Wednesday that, based on information from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, it appears safe to make some minor changes beginning Friday.
Starting then, Beaufort will reopen to people from outside Carteret County.
“In particular,” Beaufort Mayor Everette S. “Rett “Newton said in the announcement, “we recognize that second-home owners need to check on their property and they are a critical and valued component of our community.”
Also, retail businesses that are not classified as “essential” but that sell their goods by curbside pickup, delivery by mail or to the customer’s doorstep in compliance with social distancing and disinfection standards, can reopen.
Real estate agents will be allowed to show listed properties if they follow social distancing rules and disinfect high-touch surfaces. And marinas will no longer be barred from providing services to boaters from outside the county.
Other restrictions will remain in place through April 29, the town said, and it will defer to Cooper’s orders and reopening plan for the state.
“We reopen in a new environment where social distancing and emphasis on hygiene will continue for the foreseeable future.” the mayor said. “The crowded, large-scale events we frequently host in Beaufort will need to be scaled [back] or postponed for COVID-19 considerations. Summer 2020 in Beaufort will be a big challenge.”
N&O Staff writers Chip Alexander, Ashad Hajela and Keung Hui contributed to this report, along with Ames Alexander of the Charlotte Observer and McClatchy’s Summer Lin.
This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 12:05 PM.