Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 31
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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 167,000
At least 167,313 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 2,702 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported 1,186 new COVID-19 cases, up from 1,051 the day before.
The health department said Saturday’s record 2,585 new cases included about 1,000 backlogged positive tests from early August that LabCorp had just reported. The department said it’s working with LabCorp to understand what caused the delay but that “LabCorp confirmed that individuals were not delayed in receiving their results.”
The health department also reported 10 additional deaths Monday.
The death toll as of Sunday neared 200 in Wake County, home to Raleigh. That area’s total coronavirus-related deaths were the second highest after Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte.
As of Monday, health officials said nearly 7.2% of COVID-19 tests were positive. State health officials have said that percentage should be 5% or lower.
At least 923 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday, up slightly from 917 on Sunday.
Officials report additional cases of MIS-C
North Carolina has reported 25 cases of the severe condition some children develop after being infected with COVID-19, called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C.
Two children were diagnosed last week, Kelly Kimple, the head of the state health department’s Women’s and Children’s Health Section, said Monday during a N.C. Child Fatality Task Force meeting.
The condition seems to develop up to a month after COVID-19 symptoms start, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms can vary but the most common are abdominal pain and vomiting. A skin rash and diarrhea are also common.
Children account for about 11% of coronavirus cases in the state.
“That does not mean that there’s not a great impact to the children throughout our state and nation,” Kimple said Monday.
Kimple also said the number of cases among children may be undercounted since many children show mild or no symptoms.
State COVID-19 data show conflicting numbers, gaps
North Carolina’s coronavirus data sometimes includes information gaps or conflicting numbers, making it difficult to follow.
The state health department backfills testing information, which it calls a “dynamic number,” as it gets it due to lagging results. Also, issues with test results from LabCorp, which handles about half of the states COVID-19 tests, have distorted how many tests have been reported in North Carolina and how many have been positive this month.
The information on the state health department’s site is also consistently updated or changed without announcements, The News & Observer reports.
For example, the reported percentage of positive tests each day are often changed later.
And the data the health department keeps is important as officials use much of it to determine the actions necessary to curb the spread of the virus.
Jessie Tennenbaum, chief data officer at NCDHHS, told The N&O the agency’s announcement of mistakes and corrections of information should “give the public confidence that it is working to get the numbers right.”
“All the data is highly complex,” she said. “We’re augmenting and improving the systems. If we weren’t finding the problems, I would be more suspicious. DHHS is doing their very best to get the most accurate data. Where we find that’s not the case, we’re being completely transparent with the public.”
Cooper to discuss reopening plans as some gyms reopen
Some gyms in North Carolina say they’ll reopen despite a state order as the next phase of easing restrictions is expected to take effect this week.
Dory MacMillan, a spokesperson for the governor, told The News & Observer in an email that on Tuesday that Gov. Roy Cooper will discuss the next phase of easing COVID-19 restrictions on businesses, which would go in effect later in the week — a week earlier than previously thought.
A state order currently calls for gyms to stay closed in North Carolina, but Planet Fitness and Crunch Fitness say they are reopening their workout facilities. Some others have also reopened despite the order. While a state Justice Department letter said gyms should be able to operate for people to use for medical treatment, Planet Fitness won’t require its members to show proof of a medical need.
The governor’s office on Monday also said the curfew on alcohol sales at restaurants has been extended through Oct. 2. Restaurants and other businesses that serve alcohol for on-site consumption have been prohibited since July 31 from selling drinks between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.
Free meals for students extended
The federal government will continue allowing free meals for all public school students, including those in North Carolina, regardless of whether they qualify.
Only lower-income public school students are usually eligible for free meals, but the restriction was waived during the coronavirus pandemic. It was set to expire Monday, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture says it’s extending it until as late as Dec. 31.
Students will be eligible regardless of whether they’re attending virtual or in-person classes.
School districts had been warning families who didn’t qualify for free or reduced meals that they would have to start paying for the meals.
Some districts in North Carolina said Monday universal free meals will continue while others said they are waiting to get more details from the N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
Students leaving dorms poses coronavirus risk
Thousands of college students in North Carolina are leaving their campuses after living in dorms for a few weeks, and many are concerned about the increased risk of COVID-19 spread as they move to new locations, The News & Observer reported Monday.
The number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase at North Carolina colleges and universities, prompting a few to move all undergraduate classes online.
UNC-Chapel Hill added 75 new COVID-19 cases among students and employees over the weekend, for a total of more than 1,000 since February. It’s also reported 12clusters. A cluster is defined at five or more cases in close proximity. The weekend was the deadline for UNC students to move out of campus residence halls
Davidson College reported a cluster Friday night involving members of its baseball team, The Charlotte Observer reported Saturday. The college has reported a total of 13 cases out of more than than 1,600 tests over recent days.
N.C. State University announced two new coronavirus clusters at a residence hall and off-campus apartment on Friday, bringing the university’s total clusters to 31. Most of the university’s 6,600 students living on campus started moving out last week.
The university also announced Monday that its football season will start without fans and that its women’s soccer team won’t compete this fall.
The reported increases come after some schools started fall semesters on Aug. 10. N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill and East Carolina University have since switched to online-only learning for undergraduates.
Health and university officials have said students should take precautions to prevent spreading the virus, including washing their hands, wearing a mask and social distancing.
“All students that are members of campuses with widespread transmission should quarantine for 14 days — whether they staying on campus, in off campus housing, or moving back home to prevent the spread,” N.C. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson Catie Armstrong said in a statement.
Judge considers ‘special liaison’ to reduce prison risks
A North Carolina judge says he is considering appointing a “special liaison” tasked with reducing the risk of COVID-19 infection in state prisons.
A group is arguing in a lawsuit that Gov. Roy Cooper, Secretary of the N.C. Department of Public Safety Erik Hooks and other state officials aren’t doing enough to protect the more than 31,000 people who are in North Carolina prisons from the virus.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs argued during the hearing in Wake County Superior Court that officials failed to come up with a plan to release more people from prison early and that some prisons aren’t following guidelines from health officials, The News & Observer reported Saturday.
Whitley Carpenter, attorney with the organization Forward Justice, asked Superior Court Judge Vince Rozier to appoint a “special master” to expand criteria for release and to make recommendations to the court about releasing people.
“The special master should also have the authority to review grievances and other documentation related to the defendants’ management of the pandemic in our state prisons,” Carpenter said.
Rozier said he plans to consider appointing a “special liaison” but needs time to review evidence.
This story was originally published August 31, 2020 at 6:56 AM.
