As NC cases spike, state epidemiologist warns Thanksgiving’s impact is still coming
North Carolina set another high in COVID-19 hospitalizations Monday, continuing a month-long increase, according to data reported by the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
DHHS reported there are 2,240 COVID-19 patients in hospitals statewide, with 96% of facilities reporting. There were 528 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units, another new high.
The state health department also reported 4,372 new cases Monday, bringing the 7-day daily average for new lab-confirmed cases to 4,979 cases. Of the state’s six highest daily new case numbers, five have been recorded in the past week.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced that he will have a press conference Tuesday at 3 p.m. to give an update on the state’s response to the pandemic.
Phase 3 is set to expire Friday. Thursday, Cooper said nothing is “off the table” in terms of restrictions, The News & Observer said. He said people need to “take personal responsibility” for following current COVID-19 orders, like face covering requirements and restricted gatherings.
“There are a lot of people who are doing the right things,” he told The N&O. “But it’s irresponsible to ignore the rules and to create situations where people can become infected. This is why we are concentrating on enforcing the rules that we have in place.”
Dr. Mandy Cohen, DHHS Secretary, added Saturday — after the state surpassed 6,000 new daily cases — that the recent spike is “worrisome.”
“We are looking at what further actions we can take as a state to protect North Carolinians and save lives,” she said in a news release.
The recent spike in cases has not yet accounted for the impact from Thanksgiving gatherings or travel, Zack Moore, North Carolina’s state epidemiologist, said during a Monday morning meeting of the Secretaries’ Science Advisory Board.
“We expect to see any impact from those starting this week,” Moore said.
Moore also spoke about seemingly imminent COVID-19 vaccines, with both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines set for Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization hearings over the next 10 days.
By early 2021, Moore said, DHHS hopes that health departments and health centers will be able to start vaccinating adults who have multiple conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID-19.
“That is very much on the near horizon,” Moore said, “but right now the onus is on all of us to do what we can to prevent transmission.”
On Saturday, the last day for which data is available, 10.5% of COVID-19 tests came back positive. That number also brought the 7-day average positivity rate to 10.5%, significantly higher than the 5% goal set by state health officials.
DHHS also reported 17 COVID-19 deaths Monday, bringing the pandemic’s toll to 5,560 North Carolina residents. Deaths are recorded as they are confirmed and did not necessarily happen on the same day.
Zachery Eanes contributed to this story.
This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 12:39 PM.