Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 13
Click here for updates for Aug. 14.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 140,000
At least 140,824 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 2,287 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported an additional 1,763 cases of COVID-19, up from 1,166 cases the day before and the highest daily count in more than a week. Thursday’s total is still lower than the record 2,481 reported in mid-July.
An additional 38 deaths were also reported Thursday.
The health department said Wednesday the number of total tests it previously reported is inaccurate due to errors in lab reporting. Officials now say 1.8 million COVID-19 tests have been completed in North Carolina, about 221,000 less than originally reported.
The error, however, does not change the percentage of positive tests or the number of cases reported, officials said.
The health department on Thursday reported a positive test rate of 7%. Health officials have long said that rate should be 5% or lower.
Hospitalizations increase slightly
At least 1,070 people in people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Thursday, up from 1,062 on Wednesday.
Thursday’s count is based on data from 90% of hospitals in the state.
Daily hospitalizations have remained above 1,000 since early July, data show.
Governor announces grant program
Gov. Roy Cooper on Thursday announced the state is starting a new $15 million grant program for businesses and nonprofits hurt by the coronavirus pandemic.
Businesses that haven’t received funds from other programs could get up to $250,000 through the job-retention grant, the governor said during a news conference.
The grant is funded by federal coronavirus relief. The deadline for applications is Sept. 1.
Students get vaccine extension
Families have an extra two months to get their children vaccinated before they won’t be allowed to attend school in North Carolina.
Cooper signed an executive order Wednesday giving families until the end of October to provide proof of vaccination as the pandemic has made it difficult for many to get immunizations on time. Normally students would be required to provide proof within the first 30 days of school.
Families attending public school for the first time also have an extension to submit a school health assessment.
Students are required by state law to have certain shots whether they attend public or private school or are home schooled. The rule also applies to families who have opted for virtual learning only in the upcoming semester.
School year to start Monday with some uncertainties
Many public school students in North Carolina will start the new academic year Monday, as some people worry about the quality of education.
More than 2 in 3 students are expected to start the semester with online-only classes, while others will have in-person classes under a “moderate social distancing” plan with limited students on campuses and buses.
The anticipated start comes after some parents are still weighing the remote instruction that ended the spring semester.
“We saw how virtual worked last semester,” said Shawn Mayer, the parent of a Raleigh senior. “In my opinion, it was a disaster. Hopefully they’ve gotten things more together, but we really haven’t heard much.”
Another parent, Adam Zerda, said: “We’ve had six months to prepare for this. I am hoping our educators and our teachers will come into this better prepared.”
People have also expressed concerns about low-income students or those with special needs, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
School leaders say they’re figuring out ways to offer students the best education while also navigating a semester that’s like no other. And health officials will work with districts to determine the extent of cleanings and closures if outbreaks occur, The News & Observer reported.
Causes of coronavirus spikes unclear in some areas
State and county officials are using contact tracing to help track down the spread of the coronavirus, but sources of local spikes remain unclear in some cases.
The NC Watchdog Reporting Network studied health and demographic data and determined rural ZIP code 28333 in Wayne County had among the highest infection rates in the state.
County officials have linked growing cases to “new testing sites, population density or concentrations of cases in prisons and nursing homes,” the report published Thursday said. Some health experts have said community spread and testing could make it difficult to pinpoint the source of infections.
State moves to accept Trump unemployment
Cooper said Wednesday he started applying for President Donald Trump’s new program that will redirect money from FEMA disaster relief to unemployment benefits.
The plan would give unemployed Americans $400 a week. The weekly $600 federal unemployment boost stopped at the end of July, and Congress did not extend it.
Bipartisan cooperation will be required in North Carolina for the plan to work.
Both sides seem to be in support. But while Cooper previously expressed unease with using disaster relief money, Republican lawmakers in the state criticized him for not eagerly supporting extra money for unemployed North Carolinians.
Cooper decides how to spend aid
The governor will put the state’s $95.6 million in federal coronavirus relief money toward helping students most impacted by the pandemic, he announced Wednesday.
The money is from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund, which is part of the federal CARES Act.
Republican lawmakers had proposed using the money for teacher bonuses. But a spokesperson for Gov. Cooper previously told The News & Observer that, after consulting with other agencies, the governor’s office believes the CARES Act prevents spending the money on bonuses or compensation.
Instead, Cooper said he will use it to hire more school nurses, for academic programs for at-risk K-12 students and on tuition assistance for post-secondary students.
“Learning during a pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for students and staff, whether in the classroom or remotely,” the governor said in a news release Wednesday. “This funding should help protect the physical and mental health at schools, and help bridge the gap for students with unique learning needs.”
Plan announced for high school sports
The start of high school sports in North Carolina has been pushed back again, with the football season moved into 2021, the N.C. High School Athletic Association announced Wednesday.
The sports calendar will begin Nov. 4, and football will start practice Feb. 8, 2021. Every sport’s season will be shorter and have fewer games.
Sports were supposed to start practice Aug. 1, but the NCHSAA pushed the start date back after Cooper last week extended Phase Two of North Carolina’s reopening plan until at least Sept. 11.
More Durham inmates test positive
Twelve more inmates at the Durham County jail have tested positive for COVID-19 for a total of 20 cases, officials said Wednesday.
Eight inmates initially tested positive starting Aug. 7, prompting all staff and inmates to be tested for the virus.
One of the positive cases was a detainee in intake quarantine, and the others were in a single area of the facility and are being isolated, officials say.
The jail is one of 19 in North Carolina with outbreaks of the virus.
Deaths, outbreaks at nursing homes
Nineteen coronavirus-related deaths were reported at Wake County nursing homes between Aug. 7 and Aug. 11, the state health department reported.
The total includes 14 new resident deaths at Hillside Nursing Center of Wake Forest, two at UNC Rex Rehabilitation and Nursing Care Center of Raleigh, two at Capital Nursing and Rehabilitation Center and one at Litchford Falls Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center.
The county has 16 ongoing nursing home coronavirus outbreaks, data show.
Four more residential care facilities in Charlotte reported new outbreaks of the virus this week, officials said. Mecklenburg County has 33 congregate living facilities with ongoing outbreaks.
Statewide, 906 coronavirus deaths have been reported among nursing home residents and staff members.
UNC kicks students out of dorms
Three students living in on-campus housing at UNC-Chapel Hill have been kicked out for violating COVID-19 rules.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz told The Washington Post the students were removed “for failing to follow standards.”
Students who violate the Community Standards on face masks and social distancing can be forced to move out of campus housing, UNC Provost Bob Blouin has said.
Off campus, Chapel Hill police have issued violation notices to two student-affiliated houses, The News & Observer reported.
Mecklenburg official warns about colleges
Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said she expects to see an increase in coronavirus cases as students return to colleges and universities in the area.
“It’s an experiment,” Harris said during a Wednesday news conference. “We don’t know exactly what’s going to happen. We do anticipate there’s going to be some cases.”
While some area schools will hold classes online, others plan to hold a mix of in-person and remote instruction. UNC-Charlotte, the largest university in the city, plans to resume in-person and remote classes Sept. 7, and students are expected to start moving back to campus later this month.
This story was originally published August 13, 2020 at 7:13 AM.
