NC sees 2,000-plus COVID-19 daily case increase for a third day, as K-12 cases rise
The number of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina rose by over 2,000 on Saturday for the third day in a row, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported.
The state’s case total rose to 229,752 — an increase of 2,321 new COVID-19 cases. On Friday, the state reported 2,034 new cases. The state also reported 18 COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, bringing the total to 3,765.
The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 fell to 1,034, from 1,065 on Friday. Hospitalizations had been rising since last Sunday and reached over 1,000 this week with 97% of hospitals reporting.
Testing for coronavirus is increasing in the state, which has now conducted 3,344,152 COVID-19 tests — a pace of over 30,000 a day. Positive results are at 5.2% of those tests, just above the state-set goal of 5%. Last weekend, the rate had climbed to 8%.
DHHS reported at least 373 suspected COVID-19 patients were admitted to the state’s hospitals in the last 24 hours.
As Gov. Roy Cooper allowed elementary schools only to transition into reopening fully for in-person classes again, cases among staff and students at schools have increased.
There were 164 cases across 18 active clusters in K-12 schools as of Friday afternoon, according to DHHS. That’s an increase of 38 cases and three clusters from earlier in the week. DHHS officials published COVID-19 testing strategies for school districts on Thursday, 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 senior policy adviser at DHHS, told the State Board of Education on Thursday.
