NC reports more than 6,400 new coronavirus cases Sunday, topping high set on Saturday
North Carolina reported 6,438 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases Sunday, according to data reported by the state Department of Health and Human Services.
The cases represent a new high, smashing one set just a day before.
North Carolina has seen rapid acceleration in the number of new cases over the last few days, reaching the 6,000 case mark for the first time on Saturday, just two days after first recording at least 5,000 new cases. At the same time, the percent of tests that are coming back positive has also spiked, indicating the new cases are an indicator of the virus spreading across the state rather than more testing.
On Friday, the last day for which data is available, 10.4% of COVID-19 tests came back positive. That brought the average daily positivity rate over the past week to 10.3%, a level not seen since the early days of the pandemic.
Hospitals also reported a record-high number of COVID-19 patients Sunday, with 2,191 people who have tested positive receiving treatment, according to data reported by 95% of the state’s hospitals. Each of the last four days has seen a new high in hospitalizations.
DHHS also reported 27 deaths from COVID-19 Sunday, bringing the total during the pandemic to 5,543 North Carolina residents. Deaths are reported when they are confirmed, meaning they may not have come from a single day.
Gov. Roy Cooper and Dr. Mandy Cohen, the DHHS secretary, have urged North Carolinians to double down on health measures like wearing a mask when in public and physically distancing. The efforts are particularly crucial now, they have said, because the Food and Drug Administration is on the verge of granting emergency approval to two vaccines.
Vaccine plan
During a CNN appearance Sunday morning, Cohen gave an update on North Carolina’s vaccine distribution plan.
During the first week of distribution, North Carolina expects to receive 85,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, which, Cohen said, will be enough to vaccinate workers at 50 to 60 hospitals statewide. Medical workers and staff who work with and around COVID-19 patients will be prioritized, Cohen said.
“We know the first week, it’ll just go to our hospitals,” Cohen said. “By the second week we hope to have both the Pfizer and the Moderna vaccine, and that is when we think we’ll be able to get to both our hospitals and our long term care settings.”
Vaccines in long-term care facilities will be administered through the federal government’s partnership with CVS and Walgreens, Cohen said, meaning the state will focus primarily on vaccinating medical workers.
This story was originally published December 6, 2020 at 1:03 PM.