Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 21
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Daily COVID-19 cases pass 2,000
At least 151,912 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 2,494 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday reported 2,008 new cases of COVID-19, up from 1,972 the day before. It was the first time since July 30 that the daily case count topped 2,000.
The rolling average of new cases increased this week after declining in previous weeks, The News & Observer reported.
Officials reported 29 additional deaths Friday, down from 34 the day before. Reported coronavirus-related deaths in the state reached a single-day high on Tuesday with 48.
The rate of positive test results was 8% on Thursday. State health officials have said that rate should be 5% or lower.
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations have been trending downward for several weeks. On Thursday, health officials reported a total of 1,015 patients, with reports from 90% of North Carolina hospitals.
NC State reports four new clusters
N.C. State University has four new COVID-19 clusters at its Greek Village residences, officials announced Friday.
There are 54 total cases in one fraternity and three sororities — 26 cases at the Sigma Nu Fraternity house; 15 cases at the Delta Gamma Sorority house; and six cases at the Sigma Kappa Sorority house. There are also seven cases at the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority House on Avent Ferry Road, The News & Observer reported.
The university announced Thursday it would move to online-only classes.
“All students who test positive as part of these clusters will be isolated, and all residents of the houses are being quarantined. Contact tracing has been initiated with direct communication to anyone known to have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19,” officials said.
Few new cases in Charlotte’s nursing homes
Mecklenburg County reported a smaller number of new COVID-19 cases at senior living facilities this week.
Hospitalizations, the local positive rate and the number of new infections have also improved, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“Our spread is low and stable. ... We have to continue with the preventative measures and get tested if you need it,” County Health Director Gibbie Harris said at a news conference Friday.
Walton-Woods in Cotswold had one case and The Citadel nursing home in Myers Park had two, county health officials said.
There were 32 outbreaks at congregate living facilities and three in daycare centers in Mecklenburg County.
Families still waiting for laptops
Wake County schools is moving at a measured pace to deliver 46,000 computers and 14,000 hotspots to students who need them to participate in online learning.
Distribution started Monday, when classes started for most students, The News & Observer reported. By Friday, about 15,000 families had been notified to pick up the devices.
“For this first week of distribution, we were conservative in the number of people we invited out of concern for the health and safety of parents, students, staff and volunteers,” Matt Dees, a Wake County school spokesman, said in an email. “We are going to see how the distributions go today and tomorrow and then look at increasing the number of notifications we send next week.”
More than 100 cases at UNC residence halls
UNC-Chapel Hill reported 135 cases of the coronavirus at three residence halls on Friday.
There are 16 positive cases at Ehringhaus, 17 at Hinton James and 102 at Granville Towers, The News & Observer reported. The university previously announced COVID-19 clusters at all three residence halls.
All students at Granville Towers have been told to get tested due to the large outbreak. Health officials at N.C. DHHS as well as the Orange County Health Department recommend all former and current residents also get tested.
The news comes after the UNC-Chapel Hill athletics department announced it was extending its suspension of all sports practices through Friday due to the coronavirus. The school originally hoped to restart athletics on Thursday evening.
At East Carolina University, a cluster of COVID-19 cases within the football program prompted officials to suspend the season indefinitely, officials announced Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands face eviction
All government moratoriums and extensions on rent payments expire on Monday, meaning more than 700,000 North Carolinians could lose their homes.
The state eviction moratorium expired in June, and the federal moratorium provided by the CARES Act was up at the end of July, The News & Observer reported.
The CARES Act also provided a final protection for renters — a 30-day notice of eviction.
But the 30 days are up on Aug. 24, meaning “landlords with a federally backed mortgage will be able to evict their tenants for nonpayment of rent,” according to The N&O.
NC attorney general sues Postal Service
N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein on Friday filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service and postmaster general.
The suit comes as the postal service made recent changes, leading to some delays before the November election. There’s expected to be a surge in people who vote by mail due to the coronavirus.
In the lawsuit, Stein teamed with five other states and Washington, D.C., in an effort to block changes to the postal service.
“A substantial number of attorneys general are very concerned about the undermining of the Postal Service going into the elections,” Stein told The News & Observer on Sunday. “We want to make sure that the Postal Service has the ability to effectively respond to the substantial uptick (of mail-in ballots).”
RNC gives COVID-19 tests, donates to Charlotte groups
A plan to test all attendees of next week’s Republican National Convention in Charlotte for the coronavirus is underway.
The full results won’t be shared with the public immediately, meaning it will take time before residents know if the event impacted the virus’ spread in the Queen City. As of Friday, no RNC workers have tested positive for COVID-19, according to Mecklenburg County Public Health Director Gibbie Harris.
As the coronavirus pandemic shortens the Charlotte portion of the RNC, the event’s host committee planed Friday morning to give $3.2 million to local organizations.
“The idea was that we would leave the city better than we found it,” said John Lassiter, committee president and CEO.
The event was expected to have an economic impact of more than $150 million, creating a major boost for area restaurants and hotels, The Charlotte Observer reported Friday.
The event, which was scheduled to last four days, will be in Charlotte for a few hours on Monday. The anticipated 55,000 visitors has been reduced to a few hundred, and some uptown business representatives said they don’t expect as big of an impact.
President Donald Trump had moved parts of the event to Jacksonville, Florida, in response to N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper’s coronavirus guidelines. Delegates will still meet in Charlotte on Monday to nominate him for the GOP ticket.
The president is also expected to be in North Carolina on Monday, where he could visit the Charlotte Convention Center. Trump and his daughter Ivanka have plans to stop in Mills River, in the western part of the state.
Mecklenburg County to make decision about Panthers fans
Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, is soon expected to decide whether fans will be allowed to attend next month’s Carolina Panthers first home game.
The team has said a limited number of spectators could be in the stands this season, though that can’t happen if North Carolina remains under Phase Two of Gov. Roy Cooper’s plan to reopen the state. The plan has been extended to Sept. 11 and has a 25-person limit on outdoor gatherings.
The Panthers home opener against the Las Vegas Raiders is scheduled for Sept. 13.
“We love the fans and they give us a lot of juice when we get out there,” Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey said Friday, according to The Charlotte Observer. “But based on what we’re hearing, not sure if there’s gonna be fans or how many fans there’s gonna be, we have to be able to adapt & make the most of it.”
Outbreak at Wake County jail
The Wake County Detention Center reported a coronavirus outbreak on Thursday.
At least 21 inmates in a single pod have tested positive for COVID-19, The News & Observer reported. Durham and Orange County jails have already reported outbreaks of their own.
There are 26 active jail cases in Durham County and 4 cases among staff members and inmates in Orange County.
Wake reassigns hundreds of school workers
Hundreds of cafeteria workers, school bus drivers and bus safety assistants in the state’s largest public school district will get temporary jobs so they can continue working while students take classes remotely.
Some Wake County staff members will help with health screenings, and others will take care of school employees’ children. Layoffs could be possible for cafeteria workers, as online learning takes a hit on meal revenues.
“I think we’re all concerned and supportive about being able to keep our hourly folks employed because we will need them when we return,” school board member Bill Fletcher said, according to The News & Observer.
Ex-Hurricanes coach tests positive
Bill Peters, the former coach of the Carolina Hurricanes who now coaches in Russia, has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement from his team, Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg.
Peters, 54, is asymptomatic, The News & Observer reported.
He left his job as head coach of the Calgary Flames in November amid accusations of abuse — including using racial slurs, kicking and punching — former players.
Peters was the head coach of the Canes from 2014 to 2018.
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 7:09 AM.
