COVID-19 death toll is now more than 5,000 in North Carolina, DHHS reports
North Carolina marked the grim toll Saturday of over 5,000 residents who have died of COVID-19 since mid-March.
The state’s COVID-19 dashboard showed Saturday that 5,005 people had died, an increase of 26 deaths since Friday.
There were 1,590 people hospitalized with COVID-19 on Friday, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, up from 1,571 Thursday.
However, the state continued to report a decline in the number of new cases of coronavirus Saturday, from 3,688 cases reported Friday to 3,415 cases reported Saturday.
As the Thanksgiving holiday nears, the rising number of cases has prompted local and state health officials to urge people to forgo holiday gatherings outside their immediate household. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also has warned against traveling for the holiday.
Families and friends who do celebrate together outside their immediate household are urged to strictly adhere to public health guidelines: wearing a mask except when eating or drinking, regularly washing their hands and avoiding physical contact.
Gatherings should be limited to no more than 10 people, and outside is better than indoors, officials said.
While North Carolina remains in Phase 3 of the reopening, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, warned Friday that new restrictions could be possible.
Many retailers and restaurants are bracing for what could happen if the pandemic continues to grow. Meanwhile, public health experts released a tool this week that evaluates the COVID risk of different activities in each state.
Any changes in the restrictions will depend on the growth of case numbers, Cohen said at a Friday news conference. She noted the high percentage of positive cases reflects the virus’ spread through the state and is not the result of more testing.
On Saturday, health officials reported there were 8.5% positive COVID-19 tests, nearly twice the state’s 5% goal.
Only 1% to 3% of coronavirus tests in the Triangle were reported to be positive, state data showed.
Health officials also reported that 409 adults were in intensive care at the state’s hospitals Friday, down from 417 adults on Thursday. It was a slight drop in the steadily increasing number of people receiving ICU treatment in the last two weeks.
The information is based on reporting by 97% of the state’s hospitals. The health department notes that all dashboard data is preliminary and is routinely updated. Cohen noted Friday that hospitalization numbers typically lag behind case numbers, indicating an increase in hospitalizations may not fully reflect an increase in cases.
Roughly a quarter of those hospitalized with COVID-19 are between 70 and 79 years old. The state reports that over 70% of those hospitalized are 50 and older. Slightly more than half are female patients, and over 50% are white.
White patients also account for over 60% of the deaths, although Black patients are dying at a higher per capita rate. Black residents make up only 22% of the state’s population, compared with roughly 70% for white residents.
Hospitals have cut back on elective procedures and moved patients and staff around to handle the increased number of COVID-19 patients, Cohen has said.
State officials have noted that although more demographic information is being released, the data is not available in all cases. There also may be a delay in the available information as it is submitted by local health departments.
Staff writers Sophie Kasakove and Drew Jackson contributed to this story.
This story was originally published November 21, 2020 at 12:15 PM.
