NC coronavirus deaths grow; Graham County near Tenn. border reports first case
North Carolina saw sizable increases in the number of COVID-19 cases and the number of deaths from the disease, according to the latest coronavirus update from state officials Tuesday morning.
Figures from the state’s Department of Health and Human Services show the number of deaths tied to the virus surged by 36 to 342. The case count is now 9,568, an increase of 426 over Monday’s total.
The increase comes as the state is reporting a greater number of completed tests in recent days.
Tuesday’s update shows the state has recorded 112,752 tests, an increase of 2,832 from Monday. Only six percent of the tests revealed patients positive for COVID-19, the first time the state’s percentage fell into single digits since April 10, according to the DHHS.
The percentage was 11 on Monday.
One of the metrics state officials are monitoring as they mull removing social restrictions they say have slowed the virus’ spread is the percentage of tests that come back positive.
The number of patients hospitalized by the virus fell by 10 to 463 with Tuesday’s update. That figure, which state officials want to see take a downward trend, has been above 400 every day since April 20. It peaked a 486 on April 24.
The doubling rate of the state’s total cases remained at 15 days.
The virus has been reported in 96 of the state’s 100 counties as Graham County, located in the far western side of the state on the Tennessee border, recorded its first case.
The News & Observer is keeping a separate count based on reports from DHHS and county health departments, which tends to be higher because the state only updates its numbers once a day. As of Tuesday, that tally stood at 9,674 cases and 360 deaths.
This story was originally published April 28, 2020 at 11:29 AM.