NC’s coronavirus hospitalizations jump as more hospitals report infected patients
With more hospitals reporting how many of their patients have COVID-19, the number of reported coronavirus hospitalizations increased to 908 Tuesday, 65 more than Monday.
Ninety percent of hospitals reported Tuesday, while 75% reported Monday. Last week, reported hospitalizations reached a record 915.
Total lab-confirmed coronavirus cases in the state since the pandemic reached North Carolina in March rose to 64,670 Tuesday, up 1,186 from Monday, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, DHHS secretary, said in a news conference Tuesday that hospitals have enough capacity to handle coronavirus patients.
“We want to preserve it,” she said. “We don’t want to get anywhere near overwhelming our healthcare system.”
The department is in daily contact with hospital systems, she said, and planning for how hospitals would handle quick spikes in cases has been going on for months.
On Monday, DHHS reported that 45,538 people are presumed recovered from coronavirus infections. The estimate is based on when people tested positive for the virus and whether they were hospitalized or recovered at home. State health officials reported 1,343 people have died from COVID-19 since March.
The state has ramped up testing in the last month, and as of Tuesday, 910,033 coronavirus tests have been administered, with 18,676 tests completed Tuesday, according to the NC DHHS. The proportion of positive tests, 9% on Tuesday, is higher than state health officials want, saying the percent positive should be closer to 5%.
Gov. Roy Cooper last week extended Phase Two of the state’s reopening plan to ease restrictions on businesses and leisure activities in light of increased viral spread and hospitalizations. The second phase that keeps bars and gyms closed and restaurant dining room capacity at 50% will last until at least July 17. Cooper is expected to talk Wednesday about plans to reopen schools.
At a news conference Tuesday, Cohen said the state took a “measured approach” to easing restrictions. While cases are increasing in the state, she said, cases are not surging in North Carolina as they are in neighboring states.
South Carolina reported a daily record of new coronavirus cases Tuesday, according to The State. Seventeen states have paused reopening plans, according to USA Today.
People who have severe cases of COVID-19 can face difficult recoveries from scarred lungs, memory problems and weak muscles, The News & Observer reported.
North Carolina has the most meat-packing plant coronavirus outbreaks in the nation, according to the Food & Environment Reporting Network. A COVID-19 relief bill the legislature passed last week includes $10 million in grants for small and medium-sized meat processors and livestock suppliers, The News & Observer reported. House members rejected proposals to include specific worker safety requirements, and opted instead to have plants to submit plans for protecting employees from COVID-19.
This story was originally published June 30, 2020 at 12:51 PM.