Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Oct. 22
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Hospitalizations reach near record high
At least 252,992 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 4,082 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported 2,400 new COVID-19 cases, up from 1,842 the day before.
Fifty coronavirus-related deaths were reported Thursday.
About 5.9% of tests were reported positive on Tuesday, the latest day for which data is available. That’s higher than the 5% target set by health officials.
At least 1,205 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday. North Carolina reached a record on July 28, when 1,236 coronavirus patients were reportedly hospitalized.
82 cases, 3 deaths tied to NC church service
More coronavirus cases and at least three deaths have been linked to church events in Charlotte, bringing the total number of infections to 82.
The cases are tied to the United House of Prayer for All People on Beatties Ford Road, according to Mecklenburg County health officials. The congregation held several events this month, including “convocation” on Oct. 10-11.
Deputy Health Director Raynard Washington in a statement said event planners made “significant efforts to ensure mask wearing and social distancing among the hundreds of attendees.”
“We really want to make sure our community is aware that there were certainly individuals who were infectious at those events,” Washington said. “We want folks to do the right thing and get tested and quarantine, isolate and follow our instructions.”
Mecklenburg County Public Health has tried to connect with at least 131 close contacts of the 82 confirmed cases, The Charlotte Observer reported. At least 127 people were tested for the virus Thursday at a no-cost, drive-thru testing site health officials set up on Beatties Ford Road.
Officials said they plan to host another event at the same testing site at 2845 Beatties Ford Road on Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Counties told to get tougher on COVID-19 enforcement
Wake is one of 36 counties in North Carolina to get a letter from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services warning them to better enforce COVID-19 restrictions.
The letters were sent to counties with a spike of more than 300 cases in the last two weeks, The News & Observer reported. Wake had 20,165 cases as of Thursday — an increase of more than 1,000 cases since Oct. 8.
“We ask for your continued help in the fight against COVID-19,” DHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen and Erik Hooks, secretary of NC Department of Public Safety, wrote in the letter. “We are seeing concerning trends in case counts and hospitalizations in our state and nationally, and we need your help to reduce the transmission of this virus.”
Some of the recommendations include passing local ordinances that involve fines for businesses that violate them, or issuing “imminent hazard abatement orders” that “could temporarily shut down businesses or other establishments that present safety threats,” according to The N&O.
Parents must promise not to put sick kids on the bus
Parents of students who ride the bus in Wake County Schools will have to sign a form promising they and their child will follow all health and safety precautions as schools return to in-person instruction.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will also require bus riders to wear face masks and follow social distancing guidelines, The News & Observer reported.
“By signing the form, the parent agrees that they will screen their student for COVID-19 symptoms each morning for the current school year,” Stephen Sposato, Wake’s director of transportation operations, said at a news conference Thursday.
Elementary school students from Pre-K to third grade and K-12 special education students go back to school Monday for one week of in-person classes followed by two weeks of remote classes. Daily in-person instruction will resume Nov. 16.
Before allowing those students to get on the bus, however, parents will have to sign a one-time attestation form verifying they won’t let their child ride if:
- They have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
- They’ve been in close contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19.
- They are showing any symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing or loss of taste or smell.
The form is available at wcpss.net/busform and can be submitted online or in person.
UNC system weighs financial challenges from the pandemic
The UNC system is facing deep financial and operational challenges because of the coronavirus pandemic, President Peter Hans said Thursday during a meeting to discuss the system’s budget priorities.
The board identified four core needs for the 2021-23 academic years: full funding for building reserves and enrollment growth; continued support of the NC Promise program that lowers tuition for students at Western Carolina University, UNC Pembroke and Elizabeth City State University; and funds to support faculty and staff salaries.
There are no plans to seek funding for new projects or initiatives, and the board “won’t be ‘entertaining’ any campus-specific operating budget requests,” The News & Observer reported.
“This is not a moment for sweeping plans,” Hans said referring to the budget. “This is a moment for keeping our most important promises to the students and citizens of North Carolina, including identifying potential savings that can be carried forward into the next fiscal year.”
Charlotte among top American hubs as airport debuts new features
American Airlines, which has a major presence at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, reported billions in losses as the coronavirus pandemic deals a blow to the travel industry.
Though the carrier reported a third-quarter net loss of $2.4 billion, Charlotte was one of the “best performing hubs” compared to 2019, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
The announcement comes as the transportation center is making changes and seeing passengers return.
The airport has reported increasing traffic after taking a dip in March and April when the coronavirus pandemic prompted business shutdowns.
The airport reported 1.2 million passengers in September, the most recent month with available data. Though the total was down from more than 2 million travelers at the same time last year, it was the highest total reported since February.
As traffic rebounds, a new feature allows passengers to check security wait times on the airport’s website and app, The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
Also, there are five new electric buses at the airport and officials plan to have more nonstop flights later this year.
UNC using artificial intelligence to help fans follow COVID-19 rules
UNC-Chapel Hill has launched an artificial intelligence tool to encourage football fans to stick to policies meant to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Kenan Memorial Stadium entrances now have kiosks with technology that can determine whether a person is wearing a face mask and practicing social distancing. If someone isn’t adhering to the guidelines, the kiosk will issue an alert, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
“The main goal is to encourage people in the moment,” said Steven King, the chief innovation officer at UNC Reese Innovation Lab, designer of the technology. “One thing we found in our research is that being able to encourage people to use masks and social distance was probably the most effective thing we could do.”
UNC says only anonymous data is collected from the technology, known as Health Greeter Kiosks.
The tool was first used when UNC played Virginia Tech on Oct. 10 and will return for this weekend’s game against N.C. State University.
Courtroom visitors urged to get tested after NC deputy dies
People who may have come in contact with a North Carolina deputy are encouraged to get tested for COVID-19.
Guilford County Sheriff’s Office said the deputy had a coronavirus infection and died “due to medical-related issues,” McClatchy News reported Wednesday.
Officials didn’t share the name of the deputy but said he worked Monday at the Guilford County Courthouse. Anyone who went into courtrooms 1C, 1D, 2B, or 2C is asked to monitor for coronavirus symptoms and get tested for the virus.
Cooper extends Phase 3
Gov. Roy Cooper has extended Phase 3 of North Carolina’s reopening plan until Nov. 13 as case counts and hospitalizations rise.
Phase 3, which started Oct. 2 and allows bars, entertainment venues, movie theaters and large outdoor venues to reopen with capacity restrictions, was set to expire Friday.
North Carolina’s death toll from the coronavirus surpassed 4,000 on Wednesday, and the state’s seven-day average of new daily COVID-19 cases is 2,000 — a level state officials have said is too high.
Elected officials in 36 counties have now been asked “to consider actions to ‘improve compliance’ with executive orders,” such as imposing fines for violations of the governor’s coronavirus executive orders and letting local health directors issue imminent hazard abatement orders.
NC workers demand paid sick time
The Families First Coronavirus Response Act guaranteed workers two weeks of paid sick leave to recover from the coronavirus or quarantine, but many in North Carolina say that hasn’t happened.
Ieisha Franceis, who works at Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers in west Durham, told The News & Observer she’s had to quarantine twice in three months after employees were potentially exposed to the virus. Freddy’s is a chain that employs more than 500 people nationally, and most of its individual franchises employ less than 50 — meaning they’re exempt from the mandatory sick leave requirement.
Between 2 million and 3 million workers — or up to 84% of the workforce — in North Carolina fall into that exemption category, according to an analysis by the Center for American Progress. That figure balloons to 106 million nationwide, The N&O reported.
This story was originally published October 22, 2020 at 7:11 AM.
