Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 29
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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 117,000
At least 117,850 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 1,865 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported an additional 1,763 cases of the virus, up slightly from 1,749 the day before.
It also reported 45 additional deaths — the highest total since the start of the pandemic. Not all of the deaths came on one day, but it’s the biggest day-to-day jump health officials have reported.
More than 1.6 million tests for the virus have been completed in North Carolina, the health department says. As of Wednesday, 7% of tests were positive.
Key indicators of the spread of the virus in North Carolina are stabilizing but are still too high, health officials said Tuesday. Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state health department, said during a news conference 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.
Hospitalizations break record
At least 1,291 North Carolinians were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Wednesday — an all-time high.
Wednesday’s total surpassed the previous record of 1,244 set the day before.
It marked the fourth day since the start of the pandemic that daily hospitalizations topped 1,200. Reported hospitalizations haven’t dropped below 1,000 since July 4.
Federal aid for K-12 students
North Carolina will receive more than $17.6 million in federal funds to help K-12 students through the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Wednesday while visiting the state.
It’s one of 11 states to get the grant.
The money is from the Rethink K-12 Education Models Grant program and is for creating new ways for students to learn. The grant was announced in April and any state could apply.
NC colleges and universities with cases
More than 250 coronavirus cases have been reported at North Carolina colleges and universities, according to a New York Times survey.
Fourteen schools have reported cases, all of which plan to bring students back to campus for classes in the fall.
The New York Times survey included every public, four-year university in the country and every private college that participates in Division I sports or is an elite research university.
Appalachian State University in Boone had the most cases in the state, with 94, which also puts it among the top schools nationally.
UNC-Chapel Hill reported 37 cases, all among student-athletes, coaches and staff. UNC-Wilmington reported 33 cases, and East Carolina University in Greenville reported 30.
Some schools say they plan to contact trace but won’t necessarily make it public if someone in a class or dorm tests positive for the virus.
Pence, DeVos visit NC, call for reopening schools
Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday discussed coronavirus plans in the Triangle.
Pence, education Secretary Betsy DeVos, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and Republicans who represent North Carolina in Congress arrived in the state Wednesday afternoon.
The vice president stopped at Thales Academy in Apex, just southwest of Raleigh, where he participated in a round-table discussion about plans to safely reopen the private school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If we’re going to open up America, we’ve got to open up schools,” he said during the visit.
He later met with executives from Wake Research, which is currently gathering volunteers for vaccine clinical trials, and talked at the NC Biotech Center about the federal government’s plan to get a COVID-19 vaccine on the market, The News & Observer reported.
He said Research Triangle Park “has been a critical part” in developing a vaccine for COVID-19.
The visit comes two days after President Donald Trump visited a local biotech company involved in manufacturing a vaccine.
Mecklenburg unemployment rate falls
The unemployment rate dipped in the Charlotte area but is still drastically higher than it was before the coronavirus pandemic, data show.
The Mecklenburg County unemployment rate in June fell to 8.6%, compared to 13.6% the month before, The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
Last June, the unemployment rate was 3.9%, according to the N.C. Department of Commerce.
State Fair canceled
The coronavirus pandemic prompted officials to cancel this year’s N.C. State Fair.
State Agriculture Secretary Steve Troxler made the announcement Wednesday, weeks after officials said they would put a stop to the Mountain State Fair.
The N.C. State Fair is held in the fall and had more than 1 million attendees in 2019, The News & Observer reported. This year is the first not to have the annual event since World War II.
Emergency release requested for inmates
Emergency court filings aim to get inmates released as COVID-19 cases hit the Mecklenburg County jail.
Two of the people in custody have serious health issues, and one is pregnant, according to court filings.
Officials on Monday reported 48 active coronavirus cases in the jail. Six weeks ago, there were two cases, The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
Cooper bans late-night alcohol sales
Some North Carolina businesses won’t be allowed to sell alcohol between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. starting Friday.
Gov. Roy Cooper on Tuesday issued an executive order restricting late-night alcohol sales for on-site consumption at restaurants, breweries and distilleries. Bars are still required to stay closed.
The order will last through Aug. 31.
The governor issued the order in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 among young people, who now account for a 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.”
Similar orders have already been issued locally in North Carolina. Raleigh, Charlotte, Orange County and some other towns in Mecklenburg County have implemented restrictions.
New relief funds created 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 federal Paycheck Protection Program.
The Job Retention Grant was included in House Bill 1023, which Gov. Cooper signed at the beginning of July. The N.C. Commerce Department’s Economic Investment Committee on Tuesday gave it final approval.
The program, funded through the CARES Act, would 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.
Applications are set to open next week on the Commerce Department’s site and are expected to remain open until Sept. 1. Businesses will have to meet certain criteria to be eligible.
Complaints about meat-packing plants pile up
Dozens of meat-packing plant workers across North Carolina have brought concerns about safety during the COVID-19 pandemic to state and federal officials — but no citations or penalties have been issued.
The N.C. Department of Labor, which investigates such complaints, hasn’t found safety violations at any plants and hasn’t issued citations or penalties despite repeated complaints concerning a lack of social distancing, insufficient personal protective equipment and workers being forced to work when sick. That’s according to a report by 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 related to 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 data from the state health department. Workers have been hit especially hard by the virus as a lack of regulation makes them vulnerable.
This story was originally published July 29, 2020 at 7:50 AM.
