Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Nov. 9
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Seven-day case average reaches record
At least 294,860 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 4,615 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported 1,521 new COVID-19 cases, down from 2,094 reported the day before. Monday marked the first time in a week that the daily case count was below 2,000.
Despite the dip in new cases, the state’s seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases on Monday hit a record high of 2,405. The average gives a wider view of infections over the course of a week.
Eight coronavirus-related deaths were reported in the state on Monday.
About 6.6% of tests were reported positive on Saturday, the latest day for which data are available. That’s higher than the 5% target set by health officials.
At least 1,169 people in North Carolina were reportedly hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday, up from 1,138 reported the day before. Sunday’s preliminary hospitalization total had been 1,147.
The U.S. also passed 10 million coronavirus cases on Monday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
When are $335 COVID-19 checks for parents arriving?
Checks for $335 are being sent to parents in North Carolina to help offset financial burdens caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The checks, known as Extra Credit Grants, are being sent by the N.C. Department of Revenue. It’s valid for 90 days, meaning parents must cash it within that time frame or the check will expire.
Roughly 1.05 million checks have been sent or are being sent this week to parents who automatically qualified because they claimed a dependent child on their 2019 state income tax forms, The News & Observer reported. Checks started being mailed the week of Oct. 19 and continue for the four weeks that follow.
“That means the last batch of automatic checks are being mailed right now,” according to The N&O. “The checks are mailed to the address listed on your 2019 tax return, or to a new one if you updated your address by Oct. 14.”
Parents who didn’t claim a child tax exemption can apply for the grant until Dec. 15. The original deadline was Oct. 15 but it has since been extended.
Checks for people who had to apply will start being mailed out in November and will continue through Dec. 15.
CMS monitors coronavirus case load
Officials at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools said they’re closely watching the number of local COVID-19 cases in preparation for middle school students returning to classrooms just before Thanksgiving.
The number of new cases was 136.2 per 100,000 people over the last week, meaning the county is in the “red” zone for the third week in a row, the Charlotte Observer reported.
That’s up from late October, when CMS reported 120 cases per 100,000 people.
Mecklenburg County has also recorded a coronavirus test positivity rate of 7.2%, which puts it in the “yellow” zone of moderate community spread as defined by the district. District officials have said a switch from the yellow to red zone “does not necessarily mean there will be a change in reopening plans,” according to the Observer.
Triangle case rates lower than in rural areas
While the Triangle’s coronavirus cases have been on the rise, the rate of infections is lower when compared to rural parts of North Carolina.
Wake County, home to Raleigh, reported 2,393 cases in the past two weeks — the second highest total after populous Mecklenburg County. Durham County on Friday reported a near-record of 120 daily cases.
But the Triangle’s cases per capita are behind many of the state’s rural areas. For example, Alexander County leads the state 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,” The News & Observer reported Sunday. “Wake County’s rate is 215 cases per 100,000 residents, while Orange County’s is 176 per 100,000.”
The state as of Friday reported outbreaks at several Triangle-area nursing homes, long-term care centers and county jails.
Some Wake middle school students return Monday
Roughly 6,000 Wake County middle school students are returning to face-to-face instruction Monday.
It’s part of a phased return to in-person instruction that began with elementary students on Oct. 26 for the state’s largest school district. Students will be on a three-week rotation, with two weeks of remote learning and one week of in-person learning.
Face masks will be required, students will have their temperatures checked daily and people will be expected to maintain social distancing.
“The most important thing is that we’re prioritizing the health, well-being and safety of students when they return to campus,” said Elizabeth MacWilliams, principal of Carroll Middle School.
On Oct. 26, Pre-K through third grade and K-12 special-education students in regional programs started returning to campuses on the same rotation.
Fourth- and fifth-grade students will return on that plan Nov. 16. High school students will remain in online classes only through the fall semester.
Though some groups have said it isn’t safe for students to go back to classrooms now, state health officials contend their return isn’t behind recent case increases statewide.
This story was originally published November 9, 2020 at 6:50 AM.
