Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 23
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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 106,000
At least 106,893 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 1,726 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported an additional 1,892 cases of the virus, down from 2,140 the day before. Wednesday’s total neared the record of 2,481 daily cases reported Saturday.
More than 1.5 million coronavirus tests have been completed in North Carolina. As of Thursday, 8% of tests were positive. The percentage should be closer to 5%, officials say.
Hospitalizations hit record
At least 1,188 North Carolinians were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Thursday — a single-day high.
The total surpassed the 1,137 hospitalizations reported Wednesday and the previous record of 1,179 on Tuesday, according to the state health department.
Reported daily hospitalizations haven’t dropped below 1,000 since July 9, data show.
The state on Wednesday reported 75% of inpatient beds and 78% of intensive care unit beds were in use.
On Wednesday, 137 patients confirmed with COVID-19 were admitted to North Carolina hospitals over 24 hours, and 360 adults were in ICUs, the state health department reported Thursday.
Trump to discuss COVID-19 vaccine in NC
President Donald Trump will visit a biotech company in North Carolina on Monday to discuss coronavirus vaccine efforts.
He will tour the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ Innovation Center in Morrisville and is expected to discuss vaccine development, manufacturing and distribution, according to a White House official.
The company he’s visiting is manufacturing drug substance for a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that started Phase 1 of clinical trials in May.
The federal government in early July announced a $1.6 billion agreement with the vaccine maker, Novavax, and will own 100 million doses of the vaccine.
Many private schools to open
Many of North Carolina’s private schools are planning to reopen for in-person instruction.
Linda Nelson, executive director of the North Carolina Association of Independent Schools, which includes 40% of the state’s private school students, said many of the schools plan to have in-person instruction instead of the remote instruction that many public school districts are opting for.
Private schools are exempt from the coronavirus-related rules that apply to the state’s public K-12 schools but will use many of the same safety measures.
“We have a tremendous amount of autonomy,” Nelson told The News & Observer. “That certainly extends to returning to school in these circumstances. But our schools approach it from a perspective that we’ve got to do what’s safe.”
Many private schools are also offering remote learning options for students.
At least 37 public school districts in North Carolina and 28 charter schools have chosen remote instruction for the start of the upcoming academic year.
ACT, SAT not required for UNC system
Universities in the UNC system will not require SAT or ACT scores to be submitted with applications for fall, spring and summer 2021 because of the pandemic.
The Board of Governors voted Thursday to make the tests optional as coronavirus has limited test-taking options for students. SAT and ACT test sessions were canceled and postponed during the pandemic and some K-12 schools in North Carolina moved them online, which makes it difficult for some students to access testing sites before November.
The change is a one-year emergency waiver and doesn’t affect the system’s policy.
Coronavirus hurts census response
Fewer people in North Carolina have filled out the 2020 census due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of this week, 58.3% of households in the state have filled out the form online or through the mail. During the 2010 census 65% had done so by this point.
Forms can still be filled out before census workers start visiting households that haven’t done so Aug. 11.
The Census Bureau began encouraging participation in March, when the country started shutting down because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Pause on visas could hurt some companies
An order that prevents some visa holders from coming to the United States could impact some North Carolina companies, experts told The Charlotte Observer.
New H-1B visas, which are for skilled workers, are suspended through at least December. Many workers come to Charlotte to work at financial companies and work in information technology.
President Donald Trump said “the purpose of his order was to protect jobs of American workers while the country is facing high unemployment rates during the novel coronavirus pandemic,” the Observer reported on Thursday.
UNC to hold COVID-19 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 a vaccine developed by Moderna will take place at the university. Those interested in volunteering should watch out for a recruitment website that’s expected to launch in the coming weeks.
Moderna’s vaccine uses genetic material from the coronavirus, called mRNA, which a vaccinated person’s cells would use to make viral proteins — like they would if the person was infected with the virus — so the immune system can learn how to fight off future exposure.
UNC has been a hot spot for COVID-19 research, The News & Observer reported. It has held or will hold clinical trials on plasma treatment, an antiviral drug and on antibodies.
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 new ban applies to the city of Charlotte, unincorporated parts of Mecklenburg County and the towns of Davidson, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville.
It’s in response to 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 went in effect Wednesday. Earlier this month, Orange County banned alcohol sales after 10 p.m. at restaurants, private clubs and other food-service establishments.
The Charlotte-area order also bans on-site customers between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. Restaurants can still offer take-out and delivery.
Cases increase at NC farms
Coronavirus cases are increasing among North Carolina farm workers, data show.
The state health department this week 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 reported COVID-19 cases.
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.
Agricultural workers often live in housing where social distancing is impossible and don’t always have access to health care.
“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 Tuesday news release. “Providing masks is one way we are helping to protect workers.”
Thirty-one of North Carolina’s counties with farmworkes will receive the first PPE deliveries, The N&O reported.
Wake, Mecklenburg nursing homes are COVID-19 hot spots
Wake County is a hot bed for coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes, state data show.
The state health department on Tuesday reported the county has the second most ongoing nursing home outbreaks in the state behind Mecklenburg County, which has 39.
Of Wake County’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 centers that serve older adults in the Charlotte area reported new active coronavirus outbreaks this week.
Statewide, the health department reports 154 outbreaks at nursing homes and 110 at residential care facilities.
This story was originally published July 23, 2020 at 6:26 AM.
