Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Nov. 19
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Hospitalizations, cases hit records
At least 325,158 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 4,936 have died, according to health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported 4,296 new COVID-19 cases, an all-time high and up from 3,367 reported the day before. The latest case count broke the previous record of 3,885 cases reported Saturday.
At least 1,538 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday, a new record. State officials last week said patient counts would be higher due to a change in how the federal government reports hospital stays.
About 7.9% of tests were reported positive as of Tuesday, the latest day for which data are available. That’s above the 5% target set by health officials.
Cooper urges NC to follow coronavirus orders
Gov. Roy Cooper said North Carolinians need to follow the COVID-19 restrictions in place to slow the spread of the virus.
Cooper on Thursday was visiting Bright View Technologies, a company that makes plastic light filters but has also been making face shields since the pandemic hit. He met with company officials and toured the plant where the face shields are made during his visit, The News & Observer reported.
Bright View has manufactured more than 75,000 face shields since March — more than half of which have gone to state and local governments in North Carolina.
Under Cooper’s current executive order, the state will stay in Phase 3 until Dec. 4. The governor said North Carolina could revisit the guidelines before then.
“We will do what we need to do in order to protect the health and safety of North Carolinians,” he said, responding to a question about stricter safety measures.
Death toll rises at NC church with COVID-19 outbreak
At least three more people have died from complications of the coronavirus linked to an outbreak at United House of Prayer for All People in Charlotte, bringing the death toll to 12.
The church held convocation events in October that became the source of Mecklenburg County’s largest COVID-19 outbreak to date.
At least 213 confirmed coronavirus cases have been tied to the events, the Charlotte Observer reported.
The county has reported just five new infections from the church over the last week, indicating cases have slowed. Most cases have been among Mecklenburg County residents, with an additional four in Iredell County, five in Gaston County and one in Cabarrus County. The number of close contacts has stopped at 294.
NC virtual students required to take in-person exams
Some high school students in North Carolina will be required to take state end-of-course exams and state career and technical education post assessment exams in person despite being enrolled in the virtual academy.
The exams are scheduled for December and January and will count for at least 20% of a student’s final grade.
“When you sign up for the Virtual Academy, you kind of assume the exams will be virtual too,” Anders Rydberg, the parent of two students at Green Hope High School in Cary, told The News & Observer.
The exams were waived last school year because of the coronavirus pandemic. Parents and educators are pushing for that to happen again as the fall semester comes to a close. But school districts say the onus lies with the state, which requires students take the exams in front of a proctor to protect the integrity of the test.
They are trying to make it easier on students by holding the tests in smaller group sizes and making sure health and safety guidelines are followed, The N&O reported.
Exam makeup dates and medical exemptions will also be offered, though it’s rare they are approved, Nathanael Shelton, a spokesman for the Johnston County school system, said.
Charlotte court case backlog could stretch years
Mecklenburg County faces a case backlog as it holds a criminal jury trial for the first time in months due to coronavirus concerns.
“Without a substantial change in our course of action after months of court closures, we are facing the very real possibility that it could take more than three years before some violent crimes make their way to trial, and even longer for homicide cases,” Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather said in a statement.
The prosecutor on Wednesday said there are hundreds of felony cases waiting for justice and announced reorganization within his office. People accused of nonviolent crimes may get referrals to drug treatment centers or Recovery Courts so staff can focus on other cases, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Also, jury trials for murder and other violent charges won’t get underway until new courthouse coronavirus procedures are deemed effective, officials say.
Company adding NC jobs to produce vaccine syringes
A company that makes an “experimental injection device” for vaccines could add hundreds of jobs as part of its plan to expand in North Carolina.
ApiJect said it is planning to build a Research Triangle Park center where the devices can be manufactured. About 650 people could work there, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hadn’t approved ApiJect’s devices, it said the company was reportedly approved for a $590 million loan to cover construction costs.
“The loan was billed as a way to help the U.S. deliver vaccines and medicines more quickly during national emergencies — in this case the COVID-19 pandemic,” The N&O reported.
First international flight since spring leaves RDU
An international flight that took off Thursday was the first since spring to leave from Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
The JetBlue flight carrying 38 passengers was heading to Cancun, Mexico. Before that, the last plane from a foreign destination arrived at the airport on March 31, The News & Observer reported.
“We lost all international connections when passenger traffic dropped to 3% last spring,” said airport spokesperson Crystal Feldman. “So it’s an exciting development to have international routes returning to RDU. It’s an indication that traffic is starting to pick up.”
The news comes as health officials have warned of the risks of traveling during the coronavirus pandemic.
Charlotte pub cited for COVID-19 violation before closing
Selwyn Avenue Pub in Charlotte was cited by police for violating the governor’s coronavirus order before the business announced a temporary closure.
A spokesperson for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department told the Charlotte Observer the pub was cited overnight between Nov. 14 and Nov. 15. Selywn announced on Instagram Sunday it would be closing its doors until “conditions are more favorable.”
Police did not say why the citation was issued. The pub confirmed on Instagram it had received it, saying the business had voluntarily limited capacity to 37% — below the required 50% — but was told “that it is illegal to stand while drinking a beverage.”
“We are currently seeking clarity on this issue and apologize if we misunderstood the ‘standing while drinking’ rule,” Selywn said on Instagram. “In fact, this was the main issue when we got a visit from a COVID Ambassador on Saturday, November 14.”
New map shows positivity rates in Charlotte area
A new tool shows the positivity rates for COVID-19 tests for ZIP codes in Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte.
Data is entered into the system when someone in the area tests positive for the coronavirus, helping to give insight into which areas are most impacted. Black and Hispanic residents in Charlotte have seen disproportionate effects, The Charlotte Observer reported Wednesday.
“Higher positivity rates were observed in communities where adults work in front-line jobs, have limited access to health care and where children or adults have been exposed to the virus while living in multi-generational homes,” the Observer reported.
About 8.2% of tests in Mecklenburg County were reported positive on average over the last week, data show. State health officials have said that figure should be closer to 5%.
Private schools report COVID-19 clusters
A Charlotte-area school is moving classes online after reporting its second group of COVID-19 cases since September.
Covenant Day School in Matthews reported seven coronavirus cases among high schoolers. Students linked to the latest cluster were “involved in in-person learning,” spokesperson Megan Fair said.
Also in the region, Steele Creek Preparatory Academy Charter School was on Mecklenburg County’s list of sites experiencing outbreaks or clusters of cases. At least six people tied to the school have tested positive for COVID-19, the Charlotte Observer reported.
In the Triangle, a Durham school had 26 coronavirus cases, including 20 among students, data show. Liberty Christian Academy is one of four private schools in the area that reported cases.
“This upcoming Sunday and Wednesday, we will be holding online services for our Liberty family and others who would like to tune in,” the school posted Nov. 5 on Facebook. “With precautionary measures being taken at the school and several families in quarantine, we believe this is the best decision for now.”
This story was originally published November 19, 2020 at 7:01 AM.
