Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 22
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 105,000
At least 105,001 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,698 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported an additional 2,140 cases of the virus, up from 1,815 on Tuesday. That jump in cases is among the highest ever reported in the state.
Wednesday’s reported single-day total came after the state saw a record high of 2,481 new cases on Saturday.
Officials reported an additional 30 deaths on Wednesday.
As of Wednesday, 8% of coronavirus tests were positive, according to the state health department. The percentage has ranged between 7% and 10% but should be closer to 5%, officials say.
Hospitalizations remain high
At least 1,137 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in North Carolina on Wednesday, a drop from 1,179 the day before, the state health department says.
Tuesday’s single-day hospitalization total had been the highest ever reported in the state.
It surpassed the previous record of 1,178. The state on Friday originally reported 1,180 COVID-19 hospitalizations but has since lowered the number to 1,154 — making Tuesday’s total an all-time high
Wednesday marked the 15th consecutive day hospitalizations topped 1,000.
On Monday, 124 patients confirmed with COVID-19 were admitted to hospitals over 24 hours, and 324 adults were admitted to the ICU, the state health department reported Tuesday.
UNC recruiting volunteers for vaccine trials
The University of North Carolina will be a test site for coronavirus vaccines and will need volunteers, the school announced Wednesday.
Phase 3 trials for the vaccine developed by Moderna will be held at the university and potential volunteers are encouraged to watch out for a recruitment site that will be set up in the coming weeks.
Moderna’s vaccine uses genetic material from the coronavirus, known as mRNA, which a person’s cells would use to make viral proteins — as they would if the person were infected with COVID-19 — so the immune system learns how to fight off future exposure to the virus.
The school has been a hot spot for COVID-19 research and has held or will hold clinical trials on plasma treatment, an antiviral drug and on antibodies.
Cases increase at NC farms
Coronavirus cases are increasing among North Carolina farm workers, data show.
The state health department reported 285 cases across nine farms in the state — more than double what was reported in early July.
Many of the state’s Latino residents work on farms or in meat processing plants and, while they make up less than 10% of North Carolina’s population, they account for 44% of its reported coronavirus cases. Additionally, agricultural workers live in housing where social distancing isn’t possible and don’t always have health care access.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday that 900,000 masks, hand sanitizer and cloth face coverings will be distributed to farms and agricultural operations. The masks are for workers to take home.
“Many of our farmworkers live in group housing, putting them at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19,” Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state health department, said in a news release. “Providing masks is one way we are helping to protect workers.”
Thirty-one counties will get the first delivery: Alamance, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Harnett, Henderson, Johnston, Lee, Lenoir, Lincoln, Martin, Mecklenburg, Nash, Pender, Pitt, Robeson, Sampson, Wake, Wayne and Wilson.
Charlotte area bans late-night alcohol sales
Businesses in the Charlotte area will not be allowed to sell alcohol after 11 p.m. starting Thursday.
The ban applies to the city of Charlotte, unincorporated parts of Mecklenburg County and the towns of Davidson, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville.
The new rule follows reports of customers in bars and restaurants not wearing face masks or social distancing, County Manager Dena Diorio said Wednesday. Violations will be punishable by a class 2 misdemeanor.
The ban, which officials began drafting last week, is similar to others that have been issued in the state.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin signed an order Monday banning alcohol sales between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. in bars, restaurants and grocery stores. It goes in effect Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Orange County banned alcohol sales after 10 p.m. at restaurants, private clubs and other food-service establishments.
Wake nursing homes are COVID-19 hotbeds
Wake County is a hotbed for nursing home coronavirus outbreaks, state data show.
The state health department on Tuesday reported the county has the second most ongoing outbreaks in the state behind Mecklenburg County, which has 39.
Of Wake’s 25 outbreaks, 16 are at nursing homes, eight are at residential care facilities and one is at a correctional facility, the data show.
Four new active coronavirus outbreaks were reported this week at centers that serve older adults in the Charlotte area.
They were among seven congregate living sites recently adding two or more positive COVID-19 cases, according to Mecklenburg County data.
Fewer fines, fees hit school budgets
Suspended court cases and less road traffic mean North Carolina is receiving less money in fines and fees during the coronavirus pandemic. Those include costs associated with state license plates and taxes.
“These fees, which are funneled into the state’s school system, have dropped $30 million,” The News & Observer reported Wednesday.
Last school year, money collected by the court system brought more than $36 million to public education. Fees from the courts and other sources often disproportionately impact people of color and those who live in poorer areas, The News & Observer reported.
Mecklenburg sees rise in hospitalizations
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 recently reached a new high in Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte.
In the week that ended July 19, an average of 190 people were hospitalized. That’s up from 175 the week before, county data show.
New cases in the past three weeks have been on track with the number of tests administered, data show. It comes after a different situation last month, when the “rise in local COVID-19 cases far outpaced added testing,” The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
The data give insights into coronavirus infections after face masks were required statewide and people celebrated the Fourth of July holiday.
“Health officials often look at virus trends over a 14-day period, which takes into account the COVID-19 incubation period, as well as the time required to get a test, wait for results and have those new cases appear in countywide data,” the Observer reported.
Governor pleads: Wear face masks
Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday emphasized the importance of wearing face masks, calling a refusal to do so “selfish.”
“For those who continue to defy basic decency and common sense because they refuse to wear a mask — either wear one or don’t go in the store,” Cooper said during a news conference. “The refusal to wear a mask is selfish. It infringes on the life and liberty of everyone else in the store.”
He said widespread use of masks is crucial to slowing the spread of COVID-19.
“Not only is wearing a mask the decent, neighborly thing to do, it’s the best way to boost our economy,” he said.
Wake County plans for virtual school
Wake County schools will only offer online classes at the start of the upcoming academic year.
The school board on Tuesday approved a reopening plan that will have students attend school remotely until an unspecified date. Superintendent Cathy Moore said the plan gives time for the COVID-19 situation to improve and for schools to gear up safety procedures.
Moore’s goal is to have Pre-K and special-education students in regional programs back in schools by Sept. 8, but said that a return date hasn’t been set.
Wake, the largest school district in the state, joins at least 22 other districts and 15 charter schools in North Carolina that have opted for remote learning in the fall. Last week, the governor announced he’s reopening the state’s public schools under a plan for “moderate social distancing” that gives districts the option to hold remote classes only.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will also hold virtual classes in the upcoming academic year, following a two-week, in-person orientation for students that parents can opt out of.
On Tuesday, more than two dozen Charlotte-Mecklenburg teachers and employees asked the school board to reconsider its plan the for in-person orientation, citing safety concerns.
This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 6:58 AM.
