Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 27
Click here for updates for July 28.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 114,000
At least 114,338 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 1,790 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported an additional 1,625 cases of the virus, a slight increase from 1,621 the day before. A record high 2,481 daily cases was reported July 18.
Five additional deaths were reported Monday.
The health department on Monday reported completing more than 22,100 new coronavirus tests for a total of more than 1.6 million in North Carolina.
On Sunday, 8% of tests were positive, according to the health department.
As of Monday, 92,302 people in North Carolina are estimated to have recovered from COVID-19, according to the state.
Hospitalizations remain above 1,100
At least 1,169 North Carolinians were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Sunday, the most recent data available, down slightly from 1,170 the day before.
Both totals were down from the record 1,228 on Wednesday.
Reported daily hospitalizations haven’t dropped below 1,000 since July 4, data show, and Sunday marked the 14th consecutive day they topped 1,100.
UNC to limit capacity in football stadium
Capacity at Kenan Stadium will be reduced this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic, the University of North Carolina announced Monday.
The announcement didn’t specify what the capacity at the football stadium will be.
The school will also not offer a season ticket format for 2020. Instead, a game request system will be implemented and all tickets will be provided digitally.
DC restricts NC travelers
Washington D.C. will require travelers from “high risk” states, including North Carolina, to quarantine upon arrival.
Much of the Southeast, including South Carolina, is also on the list. Anyone visiting or returning to D.C. after non-essential travel from these states will be required to self-quarantine for at least 14 days.
High risk states are those “where the seven-day moving average of daily new COVID-19 cases is 10 or more per 100,000 persons,” according to a Monday news release from the health department.
The order went into effect Monday.
It’s similar to other orders in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which require visitors from states with high levels of community spread to quarantine.
Extended DMV deadlines set to end
An N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles policy that extends the deadlines for drivers to renew licenses and registrations is scheduled to end on Friday.
It’s not clear if the DMV can renew the policy, which gave people more time to renew due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The N.C. General Assembly in the spring pushed back expiration dates and waived fines for people who didn’t renew in time for the old dates.
“The extension applied to any DMV credential that expired on or after March 1 and before Aug. 1,” The News & Observer reported Monday. “Lawmakers left town in late June without extending the policy.”
Trump discusses coronavirus vaccine in NC
President Donald Trump visiteda biotech company in North Carolina on Monday afternoon to discuss COVID-19 vaccine efforts.
He toured Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies’ Innovation Center in Morrisville. The company is manufacturing a drug substance for the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which started phase 1 clinical trials in May. Trump visited the facility to see the progress.
The federal government in early July announced a $1.6 billion agreement with Novavax as part of Operation Warp Speed and will own 100 million doses of the vaccine.
Trump talked about the progress made toward treatments and vaccines during the beginning of his remarks.
“We will achieve a victory over the virus by unleashing American scientific genius,” he said.
He said “tremendous progress” has been made toward a vaccine.
“We’ve shaved years over the time it takes to develop a vaccine. In some cases, many years,” Trump said.
Football canceled at three universities
Three schools in the state — Shaw University, Saint Augustine’s University and North Carolina Central University — won’t have football this fall due to COVID-19.
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference both announced they are suspending fall sports because of the pandemic and to keep athletes safe, The News & Observer reported Sunday.
It’ll be the first time in 98 years that NCCU hasn’t had football. For Saint Augustine’s, it’ll be the first time in 18 years without football and will be the first time in 17 years for Shaw.
Duke limits campus housing
Duke University in Durham will only allow first- and second-year students to use on-campus housing during the upcoming semester.
Other undergraduate students and graduate students will take classes online. Juniors and seniors living off campus will not be allowed in dining halls, residence halls or social spaces but will be allowed in academic facilities such as libraries and labs.
The goal is to cut down on student density to prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
The announcement comes two weeks before students are set to begin returning to campus on Aug. 10. The semester will start Aug. 17 and end before Thanksgiving.
Duke is the first university in the Triangle to split up its student body by year.
The UNC system and many private schools in North Carolina have plans for a mix of in-person and online classes during the fall semester.
This story was originally published July 27, 2020 at 6:44 AM.
