Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 18
We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 48,000
At least 48,188 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,181 have died, according to state and county health departments.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported an additional 1,133 cases of the virus, a jump from 1,002 reported the day before. North Carolina was averaging about 1,200 daily cases over the last seven days on Thursday.
Health officials reported completing 21,270 new coronavirus tests Thursday for a total of 693,678. About 9% of tests have come back positive.
The percent positive rate cannot be calculated by simply dividing the number of cases by the number of completed tests, mainly due to the timing of when tests are administered and when and how test results are submitted to the state from labs.
Hospitalizations spike again
Daily hospitalizations reached a new high in North Carolina again on Thursday.
At least 857 coronavirus patients were in the hospitals, the highest one-day total the state has ever reported.
Thursday was the third consecutive day of record-breaking hospitalizations, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
At least 846 patients were hospitalized Wednesday, up from 829 on Tuesday, according to officials.
On Thursday, 88% of hospitals reported data to the state.
The recent increase in hospitalizations has concerned Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, the DHHS secretary.
Data show about one in five hospital beds and 22% of ICU beds in the state were in use as of Thursday. While Cohen said there was enough capacity as of Wednesday, “if we just react to hospitalizations by the time we get close to maxing out hospitalizations, it could be too late.”
Outbreak at nursing home
A COVID-19 outbreak was reported Thursday at a Triangle nursing home.
The outbreak was reported at The Laurels of Forest Glenn, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center in Garner, according to Wake County. It’s unclear how many have tested positive and whether they’re residents or workers.
Outbreaks have been widespread at congregate living facilities in North Carolina. An outbreak is considered two or more cases, per the N.C. DHHS.
Earlier this week, two more coronavirus outbreaks were reported at residential care facilities in Charlotte.
On Thursday, the state health department was reporting 107 ongoing outbreaks at nursing homes and 63 at residential care facilities.
Overall, 4,107 coronavirus cases and 608 deaths have been reported at nursing homes in North Carolina, and 1,143 cases and 99 deaths have been reported at residential care facilities, per state data.
All state inmates to be tested
Gov. Cooper and Todd Ishee, North Carolina’s commissioner of prisons, announced Thursday that the COVID-19 testing of all inmates in the state prison system has started.
Testing all 31,200 inmates will take 60 days and cost $3.3 million, Ishee said during a news conference. As of Thursday, the Department of Prisons has tested 2,809 for the virus, 717 of whom got a positive result. An additional 635 are presumed recovered.
“We’ve done some mass testing at prisons with significant outbreaks of this awful virus, but now we are going to test them all, the entire offender population,” Ishee said during the news conference.
Incoming prisoners from county jails are already being tested. Now, inmates will also be tested or quarantined for 14 days before being transferred between prisons.
Another attempt to reopen businesses
The latest reopening bill from Republican lawmakers in North Carolina seeks to reopen businesses such as event venues, amusement parks and arcades.
Democrats and the governor have opposed previous efforts to reopen bars and gyms, which would have essentially overturned Cooper’s restrictions that are in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
The Senate Commerce Committee approved a new version of House Bill 258, which faced little opposition, on Thursday. It will have to pass another committee before going to the floor for a vote.
Like other reopening bills, it would require safety measures like face masks, temperature checks, social distancing and cleaning at the businesses. Additionally, an amendment to the bill would allow Cooper to close the businesses again in the case of coronavirus spike if he gets permission from the Council of State.
But Democrats have expressed concern, as the majority of the council are Republicans.
Tracing resources stretched
North Carolina doesn’t have enough contact tracing resources to successfully track the spread of the coronavirus.
A report found that the state would need 7,100 people working on contact tracing efforts, The News & Observer reports. The N.C. DHHS reported Wednesday that 1,500 people were working on such efforts in the state.
Coronavirus cases have been growing in North Carolina. The state was averaging 1,200 new daily cases over the last seven days as of Thursday. The state has also been hitting new highs for hospitalizations regularly. Cohen said this is likely the first wave of the outbreak “accelerating” in North Carolina, not the second wave.
“Early on, when we didn’t have a lot of cases, we were sort of able to keep up, but now that we are accelerating and have a thousand new cases a day, obviously we need more tracers,” Cohen said Wednesday.
She said the health department needs support from the General Assembly.
Inmates transferred during pandemic
North Carolina officials continued transferring state inmates throughout the pandemic despite warnings from health experts that doing so risked spreading the virus, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
In many instances, inmates were transferred from prisons with outbreaks to prisons without known cases.
Since the beginning of April, when COVID-19 cases were first reported at prisons, more than 4,800 inmates were transferred between facilities, Department of Public Safety data show.
More than 1,100 inmates were transferred between April 12 and May 25, a period during which officials said they were sharply limiting transfers.
State prison officials say they’ve taken step to lower the risk of spreading COVID-19 and significantly slowed transfers. Before the pandemic, about 1,100 inmates were transferred weekly.
More hospitalizations, infections in Charlotte area
Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, has seen coronavirus spread, with more people in hospitals, getting infections and testing positive for the disease since North Carolina started to reopen, according to health data.
The data comes after the state in May entered Phase Two of its plan to lift coronavirus-related restrictions. People living near Charlotte have been leaving their homes and going to stores more often, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, last week said ramped up testing could make the coronavirus case count jump. But hospitalizations and the portion of positive tests rose at the same time, not only due to the increased testing efforts, according to Cohen.
Face mask requirements
Gov. Roy Cooper said Thursday a statewide order requiring the use of face masks could be announced next week.
He and Cohen said during a news conference that getting more people to wear masks is of upmost importance to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“We’re examining the issues surrounding a statewide requirement of face masks and some local governments have put requirements into effect already,” Cooper said. “Regardless of whether it’s a law or store requirement, wearing a face covering when you’re around others slows the spread of the virus.”
Raleigh will require the use of face masks starting at 4 p.m. Friday.
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin on Wednesday signed an emergency proclamation requiring residents to wear a covering that goes over the nose and mouth when “in contact with other people who are not household members in public or private spaces where it is not possible to maintain social distance or where recommended social distancing practices are not being followed.”
On Tuesday, the Raleigh City Council voted to give the mayor authority to issue a mask requirement. The rule will not apply to all of Wake County, as other mayors reportedly disagree on mandating the use of masks.
Knightdale Mayor James Roberson also signed a proclamation Thursday mandating the use of masks in the Wake County town. It will take effect 5 p.m. Sunday.
Masks will be required in grocery stores, pharmacies and other businesses and in places like parking lots and on sidewalks. Social distancing should still be practiced even when wearing a mask.
“All restaurant, personal care, grooming, tattoo and retail employees and staff shall wear a face covering while on duty,” the Raleigh proclamation says.
Raleigh and Knigthdale join Durham and Orange counties in requiring face masks. Those not wearing masks in these counties won’t be arrested or cited. Raleigh plans to follow suit and enforce the rule through education, Baldwin said, according to The News & Observer.
Mecklenburg County commissioners pushed for a face mask mandate Tuesday and asked for official recommendations from county health officials by next week.
Help for small businesses
Small businesses in Charlotte will be able to apply for up to a $40,000 grant for support during the pandemic.
The Center City Small Business Innovation Fund was announced Wednesday and is launching with a $2 million investment that will prioritize businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. It was created through a partnership among Honeywell, Charlotte Center City Partners and Foundation For the Carolinas.
The grants are intended to be used toward innovation and to help businesses “stay competitive and advance in this new environment,” Charlotte Central City Partners CEO Michael Smith told the Charlotte Observer. It’s not meant to be used for purposes like payroll or rent.
Applications for the grant will open July 26 to small businesses in a 2-mile radius of Trade and Tryon Streets.
Businesses across the state have struggled to stay afloat in the wake of shutdowns and restrictions brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Some have shut their doors permanently while others have had to drastically change their operations or let go workers.
Mayor Vi Lyles said Charlotte is putting together relief funding for small businesses through its small business fund.
“This is to help our business stay afloat when they have to do new things like provide (personal protective equipment) for their employees, provide ways they can clean and have protection so that their customers will come back,” she said, according to the Observer. “The initiative today by Honeywell really helps complement the work that we’re doing.”
Few restaurants reveal coronavirus cases
North Carolina does not have guidelines for what a restaurant should do if a worker tests positive.
Sharon May, owner of the popular Raleigh restaurant Relish, told The News & Observer on Wednesday that her decision to completely close the restaurant for two weeks after a worker tested positive for the coronavirus and to post the news on Facebook was a “lonely one.”
There are few if any other restaurants reporting cases.
Restaurants in North Carolina were allowed to reopen their dining rooms with social distancing and safety rules and capacity limits at the start of Phase Two on May 22. But, in the case of a worker testing positive, state reopening guidelines point to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It’s recommended that restaurants report cases to local health officials, but North Carolina does not require them to do so or to close in the case of a positive test.
This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 7:38 AM.
