NC daily testing goal surpassed, as churches decide whether to move services indoors

North Carolina continues to increase the amount of testing for the coronavirus, topping 10,000 newly recorded tests for the second time in three days on Sunday.

The testing uncovered 530 new cases around the state, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services, for a total of 18,512 since the first case was reported in early March.

Durham County reported two additional deaths Sunday, taking its death toll from the coronavirus to 39. The county said both of the people who died were older than 65 and had multiple underlying health conditions, which put them at high risk.

Neither Wake nor Orange county reported additional deaths Sunday.

On the first Sunday after a federal judge blocked Gov. Roy Cooper’s executive order restricting indoor church attendance, some churches continued to meet outdoors as the governor had asked.

But in Smithfield, New Life Baptist Church on Sunday held its first indoor worship service in weeks, which was planned before the court temporarily halted the state restrictions Saturday.

Steve Grice, pastor of New Life Baptist, said in an interview that the church had been meeting in the parking lot, but the distractions were too much.

Cars would turn around in the gravel driveway during the service, he said, and one Sunday an ATV driver barrelled up and down the road.

“I felt strongly that we could do this safely,” Grice said.

Case update

Sunday’s update from DHHS showed 659 people have died as a result of COVID-19. The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 increased by 12 to 493.

After reporting 12,279 tests on Friday, DHHS added 10,358 tests to its reporting database on Sunday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 248,944. Overall, 7.4% of tests have come back positive, and that rate has been declining. The last day the state showed a percentage of positive tests at or above 10% was April 29.

Sunday is the fifth consecutive day the state recorded 7,000 or more test results. State health officials established a goal of testing between 5,000 and 7,000 people per day as they decide when to relax social restrictions.

Avery County, located in the western edge of the state along the Tennessee border, remains the only county among 100 in N.C. yet to record a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19.

Saturday’s update saw 853 new COVID-19 cases — the highest single-day jump the state had seen since the first case was announced in March.

The News & Observer is keeping a separate count of COVID-19 cases based on reports from DHHS and county health departments, which tends to be higher because the state updates its total once a day. As of Sunday morning, that tally stood at 18,610 cases in 99 counties with 684 deaths reported over 73 counties.

This story was originally published May 17, 2020 at 11:36 AM.