Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Oct. 8
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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 225,000
At least 225,397 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 3,722 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported 2,428 new COVID-19 cases, up from 1,711 the day before.
Twenty-nine deaths were added to the total on Thursday.
About 5.5% of tests were reported positive on Tuesday, the most recent day with available data. That’s down from 6.5% the day before, but still higher than the 5% recommended by health officials.
At least 1,051 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday, an increase from 1,023 day before. Wednesday’s preliminary hospitalization total was listed as 1,028.
Software error causes problems for parents getting COVID-19 relief check
North Carolina is poised to hand out a $335 coronavirus relief check to more than 1 million parents across the state on Dec. 15 — but up to 70,000 of them are at risk of missing out if an error on their 2019 tax forms isn’t corrected.
Extra Credit grants are going out automatically to parents who claimed a child deduction on their 2019 state taxes or who filled out an application because they didn’t earn enough to file taxes, The News & Observer reported.
Oct. 15 is the deadline to ensure you receive a check from the Department of Revenue.
But the department noticed in late September that some qualifying parents “might not be eligible for the automatic payment because of a tax preparation software error outside of the department,” according to The N&O.
The software error seems to have incorrectly recorded a “0” on line 10a because it was unable to claim a North Carolina child deduction for tax preparers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $120,000 if married filing jointly or $60,000 if single.
David Srulevitch, a certified public accountant in Charlotte, told The News & Observer the only way to correct it is for people to “check their returns for the accuracy of line 10a on Form D-400.” If it’s incorrect, they have until Oct. 15 to file an amended return.
UNC-Chapel Hill announces plans for spring semester
The start of classes for UNC-Chapel Hill will be delayed next semester and students won’t have a spring break under the administration’s new plan for reopening.
UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz announced Thursday that classes will begin Jan. 19 — almost two weeks later than usual — in order to provide “the maximum time between winter break and the start of classes,” The News & Observer reported. Graduation is now planned for Sunday, May 16.
Without a spring break, Guskiewicz said the university is planning “wellness days” for students throughout the semester.
“We have heard from many of you that we need to provide more breaks during the semester, so we will incorporate five days either individually or in combined clusters for that purpose,” the chancellor said.
No exams, quizzes or major assignments are to be due in the days after those breaks as well.
Schools could test some students for coronavirus
North Carolina school districts may start regular COVID-19 testing to help monitor the disease’s spread in their regions.
The state Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday shared plans that could be used for children or adults at schools, The News & Observer reported.
“If a district is interested or able to pursue a broader testing strategy in order to mitigate the spread of COVID on their campus or in their community, a school could absolutely consider that,” Rebecca Planchard, a DHHS senior policy advisor, told the state Board of Education.
Across the state, more students are moving from online-only to in-person instruction. DHHS plans to release testing guidance as antigen tests are more widely available.
Concerns about the virus on campuses mounted after a Stanly County teacher died after contracting COVID-19.
Nearby North Stanly High School announced Wednesday it will move to online learning after multiple staff members tested positive for the virus, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Hundreds of construction projects pushed back
Increasing costs and revenue declines during the coronavirus pandemic have pushed back hundreds of road and highway projects in North Carolina.
Though the Triangle is home to dozens of the delayed projects, construction on one will start sooner than expected. The N.C. Department of Transportation plans to start the final piece of Interstate 540 in 2026, rather than 2029, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
During the coronavirus pandemic, people staying at home sent gas tax revenue down from April to June. Also, the Division of Motor Vehicles took in less revenue while offices were closed.
Coronavirus postpones App State game amid campus cases
With coronavirus cases spiking at Appalachian State University, some faculty and students want the school to transition to virtual-only classes.
The push comes after Chad Dorill, a 19-year-old App State student, recently contracted the virus and died.
But others have said sending people home from the campus could create a bigger problem, with the potential for students to bring the virus to their hometowns, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
Coronavirus outbreaks earlier this semester forced UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State University to close their dorms and move classes online.
“App State reports 225 active cases among students and faculty and 14 active clusters in residence halls, at fraternity and sorority houses and within athletics teams,” the N&O reported. “Seven of those clusters were announced last week.”
The figures come as App State on Wednesday announced it is postponing its next football game due to COVID-19.
The game against Georgia Southern University, originally scheduled for Oct. 14, is now set for Dec. 12.
The Mountaineers last week announced their game against Louisiana-Lafayette was pushed back due to positive COVID-19 “tests and contact tracing,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
“All active COVID-19 cases are recovering in isolation, according to the school’s news release, and close contacts who have been identified through contact tracing are required to quarantine,” the Observer reported.
Some teachers complain of having to work on campus
Some Wake County teachers have complained about needing to work at school buildings while their high school students will take classes at home.
The school district is requiring educators to get back to campuses by Oct. 19, though high schoolers will have virtual-only instruction through at least January, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
The move comes as elementary and middle school students will start having face-to-face instruction later this month.
“This provides time for all schools to practice health and safety protocols, complete all the tasks needed to prepare for students’ return,” Superintendent Cathy Moore this week.
Wake County schools has been allowing teachers to work remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic, and some high school educators say their early return isn’t necessary, the N&O reported.
“Why are we putting lives at risk when there’s no gain in bringing us back?” said Bryan Elsaesser, who teaches social studies at Raleigh’s Broughton High School.
Vaccine should be separate from politics, specialist says
A health specialist at UNC-Chapel Hill cautioned against the vaccine for COVID-19 being used as “campaign fodder” during a UNC Health media briefing held via Zoom on Wednesday.
“It’s one of the sorrier stories of this pandemic,” said Dr. David Wohl, a professor of medicine and infectious disease specialist at the UNC School of Medicine.
President Donald Trump has said a vaccine will be ready by Election Day on Nov. 3, but FDA guidelines approved by the White House this week make that unlikely, The News & Observer reported.
In the meantime, people’s willingness to get a vaccine if one were approved has dropped.
About 130 people have enrolled in Phase 3 of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine trial at UNC as of Wednesday, Wohl said. The goal is to have 200.
COVID-19 could be third-leading cause of death in Charlotte
The coronavirus is on track to be the third-leading cause of death in Mecklenburg County in 2020.
Only cancer and heart disease have it beat, The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
Health department data show 365 people in Mecklenburg County have died from COVID-19 as of Wednesday, following a spike in fatalities in August and September. An average of two to three people were dying per day at that time.
The county is also reporting 13% more deaths in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, Mecklenburg Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said Tuesday.
“Half of that 13% can be accounted for with COVID deaths...” she said.
“(It’s) a little bit of a sobering thought for us. This is the first time in decades that we’ve had an infectious disease in the top 10 causes of death in this county.”
Contact-tracing app hits 100,000 downloads
North Carolina’s COVID-19 exposure app, SlowCOVIDNC, has been downloaded more than 100,000 times since it was released two weeks ago.
But Sam Gibbs, deputy secretary for technology and operations at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, says that’s not the measure they care about. He told The News & Observer they’re targeting the app at specific populations.
“It is not an overall number (of downloads) we are looking for — we are trying to get concentrations in places that” are at high risk, Gibbs told The N&O in a Wednesday phone interview.
A large majority of the current downloads have been among college-aged students, where many clusters were reported in August. According to Gibbs, that’s by design.
“What was attractive with that is early on the largest spreads were in congregate living,” he said. “What do colleges have? Dorms. The universities were very keen on getting significant numbers on the app.”
The app will notify users when they’ve possibly been exposed to the virus by using Bluetooth technology.
“Bluetooth signal strength is recorded on your phone to estimate the distance between phones, so it can track when exposure to another phone meets the definition of close contact — six feet or closer for at least 15 minutes,” The N&O reported. “If you become COVID-19 positive, and report it to the app via a PIN provided by your local health department, SlowCOVIDNC will tell others if they were exposed a certain number days ago.”
Lowe’s gives another $100 million in COVID-19 bonuses
Lowe’s Home Improvement announced another round of coronavirus bonuses for its employees on Wednesday during the pandemic.
They include $300 bonuses for full-time hourly workers and $150 bonuses for part-time and seasonal employees due to be dispensed Oct. 16, The Charlotte Observer reported. The bonuses mirror similar efforts in March, May, July and August.
The Mooresville-based company has now doled out $775 million to workers and communities since the start of the pandemic in March.
UNC leads the way on race for vaccine
UNC-Chapel Hill is one of 89 testing sites for Moderna’s Phase 3 clinical trial for a COVID-19 vaccine, in which 30,000 people are expected to participate across the board.
“The biggest motivator is that people are taking a vaccine not for themselves but for their loved ones,” said Dr. Cindy Gay, who leads a team of infectious disease experts administering the trial at UNC. “I had a working mom who enrolled in the study, she’s trying to do her job and homeschool her kids.”
One of the participants in the phase 2 trial include Louise Stephenson, a senior at UNC-Chapel Hill whose roommate was infected with the virus, The News & observer reported. Stephenson tested negative four times.
“I’m optimistic about it,” she said. “My only fear is that it’s just a lot of wasted time.”
According to Gay, people who have a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 are preferable vaccine trial participants, such as minorities and the elderly. Moderna recently slowed enrollment to ensure communities of color were better represented.
“I would rather we have higher diverse participants and take one extra week,” Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said. “Diversity matters more to us than speed.”
NC fairgrounds to bring another chance to get fried food
The N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh announced it will offer deep-fried favorites later this month.
Though this year’s state fair is canceled due to the pandemic, vendors will dish out foods from Oct. 15 to 25.
The menu of more than 100 to-go items will be available for those who enter at Gate 9 off Trinity Road from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., The News & Observer reported Wednesday.
Drive-thru food events have been held at the fairgrounds since May.
“We just know that everyone misses their fair food,” spokesperson Sarah Ray said. “We’ve had so many calls about how much everyone is bummed the fair can’t happen this year.”
Brewery event attendees urged to get tested
After at least two coronavirus cases have been linked to a Charlotte event, officials say attendees should consider getting tested for COVID-19.
“Very few masks” and “very little social distancing” were at Mecktoberfest, an annual event hosted by Olde Mecklenburg Brewery, according to Gibbie Harris, Mecklenburg County public health director.
Now the brewery is allowing anyone who came to the event to return Saturday morning for free drive-thru testing, the Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
Thousands of people were drawn to the celebration from Sept. 25 to Sept. 27, Harris told county commissioners on Tuesday.
“We are in compliance with the latest statewide mandate concerning masks and we ask that our guests wear their mask inside the Brauhaus (unless you’re at your table) and whenever you are ordering beer and food (inside and outside),” the brewery’s website said, according to The Charlotte Observer. “All of our tables are appropriately spaced and there is plenty of room to spread out, relax and enjoy a fresh, cold beer.”
Mecklenburg County shared information about the event as the percentage of people who tested positive for the virus is lower than originally reported. Health officials have started to remove test results from those who live outside the county but went to Charlotte-area testing centers, data show.
As of Wednesday, this week’s average positivity rate was 5.5%, just above state health officials’ goal of 5%, the Observer reported.
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 7:30 AM.
