Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Nov. 6
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Daily case reaches record high
At least 288,569 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 4,582 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday reported 2,908 new COVID-19 cases, up from 2,859 the day before and the highest daily total since the start of the pandemic. It broke the previous record of 2,885 cases reported Oct. 29.
Thirty-four coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Friday. The total came after health officials on Tuesday reported 67 deaths, the highest single-day toll since the start of the pandemic.
About 6.9% of tests were reported positive as of Wednesday, the latest day for which data is available. That’s higher than the 5% target set by health officials.
At least 1,161 people in North Carolina were reportedly hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, a drop from 1,181 the day before. Thursday’s preliminary hospitalization total was listed as 1,193.
Coronavirus postpones Charlotte 49ers game
Another UNC Charlotte football game is postponed due to the coronavirus.
The Charlotte 49ers halted Saturday’s scheduled game at Middle Tennessee State because of a positive COVID-19 test and contact tracing efforts.
“We are extremely disappointed to have to postpone our game at Middle Tennessee,” Mike Hill, athletic director at UNC Charlotte, said in a statement. “The health and safety of everyone involved, however, remains the top priority during these challenging times.”
This is the fourth postponed or canceled 49ers game this season, The Charlotte Observer reported Friday.
Groups call for protections for agriculture workers
Organizations gathered Thursday in Raleigh to renew calls for the state to issue mandatory protections for people who work at meat processing plants and in the agriculture industry.
Earlier this year, COVID-19 spread through meatpacking plants and farmworker housing. The facilities had coronavirus-related guidance “but no mandatory laws,” The News & Observer reported.
“Since March, essential workers, especially farmworkers and processing [plant] workers, have risked their lives at work,” said Lariza Garzón, executive director of the Episcopal Farmworker Ministry. “North Carolina’s food system and the profitability of farms and meat processing plants have been maintained at the expense of these workers’ health and safety.”
Groups on Thursday also held a vigil for people, mostly Latino immigrants, who died after getting infected with COVID-19 at work.
Wake schools banning spectators at sporting events
The Wake County school district is preventing fans from attending athletic games or practices as the coronavirus continues its spread.
The Triangle-area school system this year is also suspending STUNT, a cheerleading sport for girls, due to worries about close contact, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
“Most STUNT athletes also participate in cheerleading, and the compressed athletics schedule would create an overlap in the seasons, which would not allow adequate time to safely prepare to participate,” school officials said.
For the sports allowed to continue, the district says athletic officials will provide parents instructions for live-stream video from gyms and stadiums.
The district also announced student clubs can meet on campus, as long as participants wear face coverings and follow other health practices.
Reopening schools hasn’t caused spike in cases
Health officials in North Carolina said Thursday the state’s sudden rise in COVID-19 cases isn’t the result of K-12 public schools reopening.
During the State Board of Education meeting on Thursday, Dr. Betsey Cuervo Tilson said it’s not children who are “driving our increases.” Tilson is the state health director and N.C. Department of Health and Human Services chief medical officer.
“Although yes there are cases and there are clusters in school settings, and we all expected that, we are still not seeing our school settings as a big driver of the cases,” she said.
Elementary schools in North Carolina were allowed to reopen for in-person instruction in October. Most high school and middle school students continue to learn online.
In Wake County, the state’s largest school district, school officials have reported 25 confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks — including 20 cases this week.
Also in the Triangle, some Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School students in upcoming weeks will return to a combination of face-to-face and online classes.
The changes are for students in night classes and adaptive programs, The News & Observer reported Friday. Other students in K-12 will remain in virtual instruction until the spring semester, when a hybrid schedule is planned.
UNC researchers say COVID-19 not mutating significantly
Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found the virus SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 isn’t mutating significantly — meaning a vaccine should be effective against it.
The research was published in the journal Cell Reports and was based on genetic sequencing, The News & Observer reported.
Many of the coronavirus cases in North Carolina appear to have stemmed from people who were infected on a cruise ship in Italy and returned home, meaning they were likely the result of community spread instead of “international transmissions,” according to The N&O.
The variations of the virus, however, that occurred in the state’s rural and urban areas weren’t the areas in which tests and vaccines are based on.
“The virus is very stable, and whatever little (changes) we see don’t affect testing and they don’t affect the vaccine,” Dirk Dittmer, a professor of microbiology and immunology at UNC, told The N&O.
Cooper calls for end of politicized response to pandemic
In his first press briefing since winning reelection Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper said he wants politics to be removed from the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The governor pointed to many North Carolinians opting not to wear a face covering “based on a political outlook,” The News & Observer reported.
“Now we don’t have to worry about that,” he said, “and we can move forward with facts and science.”
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, also warned people to be vigilant during the holiday season, saying it could lead to larger spread and higher case loads. She said families should get screened for the virus ahead of time and to try to gather in outdoor areas instead of indoors.
“I know folks want and need to be together during the holiday,” Cohen said. “We can’t eliminate risk, but we can decrease it.”
UNC to offer free testing as students go home for break
UNC-Chapel Hill is providing COVID-19 testing at no cost for students who leave for winter break.
The semester ends Nov. 17, and saliva-based tests will be offered at the Carolina Union that week.
The school is urging all students, including those without symptoms, to get tested before leaving Chapel Hill. Students who feel sick or may have been exposed to COVID-19 should schedule tests through Campus Health, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
“Taking a COVID-19 test is an important step in protecting your family and friends who you may be reunited with over the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Ken Pittman, campus health director.
Malls plan precautions for Santa visits
Malls in North Carolina are making changes to Santa visits this holiday season as the coronavirus continues its spread.
Some Charlotte-area shopping centers will ban sitting on Santa’s lap, instead permitting kids to take photos and share their wish lists from a distance. Some retailers require reservations ahead of time to cut back on wait times and allow staff to clean, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
“We won’t let the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic stop Christmas for millions of families nationwide or stand in the way of their traditions,” said Matt Windt, chief marketing officer at Cherry Hill Programs, which provides Santa visits to malls across the country.
This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 7:34 AM.
