Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 28
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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 116,000
At least 116,087 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 1,820 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday reported an additional 1,749 cases of the virus, up from 1,625 the day before.
Thirty additional deaths were reported Tuesday.
The health department on Tuesday reported completing about 23,500 additional coronavirus tests for a total of more than 1.6 million. As of Tuesday, 8% of tests were positive.
The health department estimates 92,302 people in North Carolina have recovered from the virus. Data on presumed recoveries is released once a week, on Monday.
Hospitalizations reach new record
At least 1,244 North Carolinians were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Tuesday — the highest single-day total during the pandemic.
The hospitalization count surpassed 1,169 reported the the day before and the previous record of 1,228, set Thursday.
Reported hospitalizations haven’t dropped below 1,000 since July 4.
Data on hospitalizations are preliminary and can be revised, the health department says.
State bans late-night alcohol sales
Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday issued a statewide ban on late-night alcohol sales starting Friday.
Businesses that sell alcohol for on-site consumption — such as restaurants, breweries and distilleries — won’t be allowed to sell alcohol between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
The order will last through Aug. 31.
The governor said during a news conference the ban will discourage “bar-type” scenes in restaurants and help lower the spread of the coronavirus among young people, who now account for the majority of the state’s cases.
“This will be particularly important as colleges and universities are scheduled to start, bringing people all over the country to our state,” he said during a news conference. “We have seen case numbers increase among younger people, and prevention is critical to slowing the spread of the virus.”
The announcement comes as health officials say key indicators of the spread of the virus in North Carolina are stabilizing but still too high. Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state health department, said the “glimmer of hope” doesn’t mean the state should let up.
“Our actions to slow the spread of this virus are having an impact,” she said.
Some parts of North Carolina already have similar rules in place. Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin banned the sale of alcohol after 11 p.m. starting last week. Similar restrictions were also implemented in the Charlotte area last week.
New relief money for businesses
North Carolina has created new relief funds for businesses in the state hurt by the COVID-19 pandemic that didn’t receive money from other programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program.
The Job Retention Grant was crafted by lawmakers and included in House Bill 1023, which Gov. Roy Cooper signed at the beginning of the month. The N.C. Commerce Department’s Economic Investment Committee on Tuesday gave it final approval.
The program is funded through the CARES Act and will provide eligible businesses with grants to cover up to 125% of their average monthly payroll for two months. Businesses cannot receive more than $250,000.
Businesses must meet certain criteria to apply. Applications are set to open next week on the Commerce Department’s site.
Complaints grow at meat-packing plants
State and federal officials have heard from dozens of meat-packing plant workers across North Carolina who are concerned about safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The N.C. Department of Labor, which is tasked with investigating workplace safety and health complaints, hasn’t found any safety violations at any of the plants and hasn’t issued citations or penalties despite repeated complaints concerning a lack of social distancing, insufficient PPE and workers being forced to work when sick, according to a report form The N.C. Watchdog Reporting Network, which included journalists from The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer.
The labor department has received 75 complaints and referrals about coronavirus and the meat-packing industry through July 15.
The plants have been COVID-19 hot spots. More than 3,200 cases have been reported in 37 “clusters” at plants since the pandemic started, according to Friday data from the state health department. Workers have been hit especially hard by the virus as a lack of regulation makes the vulnerable.
Pence to visit Raleigh area
Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to discuss coronavirus plans during a visit to the Triangle on Wednesday.
Pence is set to stop at Thales Academy in Apex, a town southwest of Raleigh. He is expected to participate in a roundtable discussion about plans to reopen the private school during the pandemic.
The vice president will also make a stop at Wake Research in Raleigh, his office says. There, he is scheduled to talk about the federal government’s plan to get out a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus, The News & Observer reported.
Trump to accept nomination in NC
President Donald Trump said he will accept the Republican nomination in North Carolina.
The announcement came after Trump earlier this year threatened to move the Republican National Convention from Charlotte. At the time, Gov. Roy Cooper couldn’t guarantee a full August event due to the coronavirus.
The event was moved to Jacksonville, Florida, before Trump canceled that portion. The nomination and other “business” portions were scheduled to be in Charlotte.
More details about the nomination are expected to come this week, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Gov. Roy Cooper said during a news conference Tuesday that his administration hasn’t heard anything about a Trump visit during that time.
“He’s welcome to come,” Cooper said. “But nothing has changed about our resolve to keep health and safety first. We have not heard anything from the administration or the RNC about this.”
UNC reduces capacity at football stadium
Kenan Stadium’s capacity will be reduced this fall due to COVID-19, the University of North Carolina said Monday.
The university’s announcement didn’t specify what the capacity at the Chapel Hill football stadium will be. Officials are working to determine by how much it will be limited.
The school will not offer a season ticket format for 2020. Instead, it will implement a game request system, and all tickets will be provided digitally.
Season ticket holders can donate their purchase to the athletic department, roll it over to 2021 or get a refund.
Another restriction for travelers from NC
Washington D.C., will require travelers from North Carolina and other coronavirus “high risk” states to self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.
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 D.C. health department. Much of the Southeast is on the list, which will be updated every two weeks.
The order applies to anyone visiting or returning to Washington after non-essential travel to these states.
The order went into effect Monday.
It’s similar to others in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, which require visitors from states with high levels of community spread to self-quarantine.
Trump talks vaccines during NC visit
President Donald Trump discussed progress toward a COVID-19 vaccine during his Monday visit to a biotech company in North Carolina.
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.
The federal government in early July announced a $1.6 billion agreement with Novavax as part of Operation Warp Speed — a Trump administration initiative to accelerate vaccine development, manufacturing and distribution— and will own 100 million doses.
He said during the visit that “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.
DMV deadline extensions set to end
An N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles policy that extends the deadlines for drivers to renew licenses and registrations during the coronavirus pandemic is scheduled to end Friday.
The N.C. General Assembly in the spring pushed back expiration dates and waived fines for people who didn’t renew in time. It applied to DMV credentials that expired between March 1 and August 1.
It’s unclear if the DMV can renew the policy. Lawmakers did not extend it before leaving Raleigh in June.
This story was originally published July 28, 2020 at 6:44 AM.
