North Carolina’s coronavirus cases increased Sunday, but by a smaller number of new positive tests than state officials reported the two previous days.

According to information released by the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, North Carolina has recorded 8,830 COVID-19 cases as of Sunday morning. That’s an increase of 288 cases over Saturday’s total.

The state had reported increases of 444 and 490 on Friday and Saturday, marking the two largest daily increases it had reported even after correction for an error that inflated Saturday’s increase.

The increases come as the state is reporting a greater number of completed tests in recent days. The state has completed 107,894 tests for the virus.

The state reported 10 new coronavirus-related deaths on Sunday, bringing the total to 299 since the pandemic was declared last month.

The state reports 451 people are hospitalized.

This story was originally published April 26, 2020 at 11:34 AM.

Steve Wiseman

The News & Observer

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Steve Wiseman was named Raleigh News & Observer and Durham Herald-Sun sports editor in May 2025. He covered Duke athletics, beginning in 2010, prior to his current assignment. In the Associated Press Sports Editors national contest, he placed in the top 10 in beat writing in 2019, 2021 and 2022, breaking news in 2019, event coverage in 2025 and explanatory writing in 2018. Before coming to Durham in 2010, Steve worked for The State (Columbia, SC), Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, S.C.), The Sun Herald (Biloxi, Miss.), Charlotte Observer and Hickory (NC) Daily Record covering beats including the NFL’s Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints, University of South Carolina athletics and the S.C. General Assembly. He’s won numerous state-level press association awards. Steve graduated from Illinois State University in 1989.