COVID-19 cases climbing in Triangle, but rate is lower than in rural parts of NC
Just like the rest of North Carolina and much of the country, the Triangle has seen its number of COVID-19 cases rise quickly in recent weeks.
According to the NC Department of Health and Human Services, Wake County’s 2,393 newly confirmed cases over the last two weeks are second in North Carolina only to Mecklenburg’s 3,246 cases. During that same period, Durham County has added 881 and Orange 262 cases.
The number of cases per capita in the Triangle trails those in other parts of the state over the last two weeks, with more rural parts of North Carolina typically having the state’s highest rates. For instance, Alexander County, slightly east of Boone, has the state’s highest rate with 872 cases per 100,000 residents.
By comparison, Durham leads the Triangle over the past two weeks with 274 cases per 100,000 residents — a rate below that of nearly 60 of the state’s 100 counties. Wake County’s rate is 215 cases per 100,000 residents, while Orange County’s is 176 per 100,000.
Wake County’s highest single-day total recently was 257 cases on Friday, the county’s second-highest day since the pandemic began. The same day, Durham County reported 120 cases, its third-highest day during the pandemic.
Orange County saw its highest numbers in August when UNC-Chapel Hill tried unsuccessfully to return students to campus. While the county is seeing its seven-day average for new cases steadily trend upward, it is now nearing 25 new cases a day, much lower than the roughly 80 it topped out at in August.
COVID-19 in schools
Schools throughout the Triangle are reopening gradually, even as case counts mount. Thursday, Dr. Betsey Cuervo Tilson, the state health director, said cases among children are not “a big driver” of the state’s escalating COVID-19 cases.
Wake County reported 20 cases at its schools this week.
On Monday, some middle school students will return to in-person learning in Wake County. The News & Observer previously reported that an estimated 6,000 of the district’s 160,000 students will be on campus Monday. Like PreK-3 and K-12 special-education students in regional programs before them, middle schools students will return to classes in a rotation of one week in school and two weeks of remote learning.
Wake County PreK-3 students and K-12 special-education students will begin daily in-person classes on Nov. 16, while fourth and fifth graders will start the three-week rotation.
Staff and students must cover their faces, undergo temperature screenings and stay 6 feet apart whenever possible.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools moved last week to start returning a very small number of students to classrooms. About 60 students with disabilities who attend adaptive classes are set to return to the classroom on Dec. 7, with in-person classes in the morning and remote classes in the afternoon, The News & Observer reported. Some working students who take evening classes could also soon return to the classroom.
The district also announced that K-12 students will continue virtual learning until at least Jan. 15.
At Orange County Schools, preschool and special-education students returned to the classroom Oct. 27, while most K-12 students are scheduled to return in small groups beginning January 2021.
Students at Durham Public Schools are also scheduled to begin returning in January.
COVID-19 in jails, nursing homes
On Friday, Franklin County announced that its jail is undergoing a COVID-19 outbreak. As of 2 p.m. Friday, 30 inmates and two staff members had tested positive for COVID-19 at the Louisburg facility.
In a press release, the Franklin County Health Department said it is working with DHHS and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to test both incarcerated people and jail staff, as well as conducting contact tracing efforts and quarantining people who have tested positive.
According to DHHS’ latest outbreak report, released Friday, there are 12 other county jails with ongoing outbreaks. An outbreak is defined as two or more cases in a congregant living setting. Outbreaks are considered over four weeks after the last person with COVID-19 linked to the outbreak either tested positive or had symptoms develop.
Around the Triangle, there are ongoing outbreaks at the Johnston County jail, where 18 inmates and five staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as the Wake County jail, where 39 inmates and a staff member have tested positive.
DHHS also identified multiple outbreaks in Triangle nursing homes and long-term care facilities. There are a dozen ongoing outbreaks at facilities in Durham, three at facilities in Orange County and six at Wake County facilities.
The DHHS report does not include an outbreak at Garner’s The Laurels of Forest Glen that was reported Wednesday by Wake County. The outbreak is the second at The Laurels of Forest Glen, which, according to Wake County, means the facility must increase its restrictions, including not having visitors for four weeks.