Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Dec. 8
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Case count tops 400,000
At least 404,032 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 5,605 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday reported 4,670 new COVID-19 cases, up from 4,372 the day before. The figures came after Sunday’s total of 6,438 cases set a daily record.
Forty-five additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Tuesday.
A record 2,373 people in North Carolina were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Tuesday. The number of coronavirus patients in intensive care units also reached an all-time high of 573.
About 9.7% of tests were reported positive as of Sunday, the latest day for which data are available. That’s above the 5% target set by health officials.
Governor announces 10 p.m. curfew
Gov. Roy Cooper is instituting a modified stay-at-home order that includes a 10 p.m. curfew as the number of North Carolina counties with critical spread continues to climb.
The curfew requires everyone to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. It also mandates many businesses to close at 10 p.m. and requires alcohol sales to stop at 9 p.m., The News & Observer reported.
“The stakes are dire,” Cooper said. “This is truly a matter of life and death.”
The order starts Friday and will remain in effect until at least Jan. 8.
The new restrictions come as health officials released an updated COVID-19 risk map showing 48 of North Carolina’s 100 counties in the “red” zone. Red indicates “critical community spread,” according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
CMPD chief tests positive for COVID-19
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings has tested positive for the coronavirus.
The chief made the announcement Tuesday on Twitter, saying he started quarantining at home “several days ago” after learning he was exposed, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“Outside of being a bit fatigued, I feel fine and continue to conduct department meetings from home,” he said.
Jennings is the first top Charlotte city leader to announce being infected with COVID-19. He said CMPD’s operations will continue as usual, and CMPD Deputy Chief Jeff Estes told the Observer no other members of the department’s executive staff have been quarantined.
American Airlines offers at-home tests
American Airlines — the dominant carrier at Charlotte Douglas International Airport — is offering at-home coronavirus test kits for passengers flying to domestic destinations that have COVID-19 restrictions.
They include Alaska, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Chicago, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island and Vermont, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Passengers with flights scheduled on or after Dec. 12 can access LetsGetChecked at-home testing starting Wednesday. The test kit has a 48-hour turnaround and costs $129 for American passengers.
Charlotte case count, hospitalizations soar
Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, set COVID-19 records as case counts surged.
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations have reached all-time highs in five of the past 10 days for which data is available, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday. State health officials in mid-November said patient totals could be higher due to changing federal government rules.
While the daily caseload hit a record 784 on Sunday, the 14-day average gives a sense of the virus’ impact over time. That average stands at 474, higher than the previous peak seen in July.
Health officials have warned the total may not yet reflect the cases added due to travel and in-person gatherings for Thanksgiving. Testing increased around the time of the holiday, and a rising positivity rate shows the spread of COVID-19 is continuing, data show.
Researchers predict NC hospitals could hit capacity
North Carolina could start to run out of hospital beds if the number of coronavirus patients requiring hospitalization continues to rise, researchers say.
Estimates show the state would hit capacity in about six weeks, with a shortage of ICU beds happening even sooner, UNC’s Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research said. The predictions come as higher COVID-19 hospitalization counts have been reported in recent weeks.
While North Carolina health providers currently have enough workers and beds, researchers say it may be difficult to control the disease’s spread in the state.
“While we hope we can achieve another reduction in case and hospitalization growth, the recent rapid growth in cases and high testing positivity ratios makes us less optimistic than in the past,” researchers wrote.
Thousands of COVID-19 cases tied to evictions
Evictions this summer in North Carolina led to more than 15,000 coronavirus cases, a new study finds.
At least 304 deaths were also linked to people being removed from their homes during the summer, according to data available through a forum called Social Science Research Network. The tool makes it possible to publish research that hasn’t been peer reviewed.
Eviction moratoriums, which prevent landlords from displacing tenants who face financial strains due to COVID-19, were issued during part of the pandemic. But they weren’t in place in North Carolina from June 20 to Sept. 3, officials say.
During that period, the number of evictions filed across the state totaled more than 18,000, according to an analysis from The News & Observer. Kathryn Leifheit, a study author, said the impact of evictions can extend beyond tenants.
“We’re talking about a situation that can actually drive up risk for everyone in the community,” Leifheit said. “Evictions are a public health issue.”
DHHS releases list of 11 hospitals getting COVID-19 vaccine
At least 11 hospitals in North Carolina ranging from small community hospitals to large research institutions are slated to receive the first round of coronavirus vaccines in the state, according to a list released Monday.
They include the Duke University Health System, Novant hospitals in Charlotte and the Triad, and Vidant Health hospitals in Eastern North Carolina.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state health department, said health care employees in North Carolina could receive the vaccine as early as next week. The state is expecting 85,000 doses of the vaccine developed by Pfizer if the drug company receives federal authorization on Thursday, The News & Observer reported.
The news comes as Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey asked Gov. Roy Cooper to give firefighters and first responders higher priority for receiving the vaccine.
In a letter last week, Causey said they should be treated the same as “frontline healthcare workers and other vulnerable populations.”
“Healthcare workers, including doctors and nurses, are rightly afforded the opportunity to work in a controlled environment with properly ventilated rooms and other protective measures,” he wrote. “First responders, operating in the pre-hospital environment, are not always provided these same protections.”
More than 100 Charlotte schools report coronavirus cases
A group of teachers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is pushing for safer working conditions as the number of new COVID-19 cases in the district climbs.
More than 900 people have signed a petition titled “Safer Schools Now,” which asks the school board to adopt five measures in reopening school buildings until a vaccine is widely available, the Charlotte Observer reported.
While there have been no known COVID-19 outbreaks in the district, chief school performance officer Kathy Elling said more than 100 schools have reported a positive case in the last two weeks — “the highest that figure has been since some students returned,” according to the Observer.
At least 102 schools reported one case and 51 schools reported two cases. There were at least 67 students and 94 staff members who tested positive for the virus between Nov. 25 and Dec. 4.
Concert organizer cited for violating COVID-19 rules
The organizer of a concert held Sunday in the Wake County town of Zebulon has been charged with violating North Carolina’s COVID-19 executive order that limits the size of gatherings.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a noise complaint around 9 p.m. Sunday. They found an estimated 150 to 200 people gathered for a concert, The News & Observer reported.
Nanci Morales-Gonzales, 20, was charged with participating in an outdoors mass gathering.
The charge is a Class 2 misdemeanor, and Morales-Gonzales could face a $150 fine if she is found guilty.
Charlotte judge tests positive
Chief District Judge Elizabeth Trosch in Mecklenburg County has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Trosch helped spearhead the county’s efforts to safely reopen the courthouse in the midst of the pandemic, the Charlotte Observer reported. She confirmed the test results in an open letter Monday.
“I am writing to share with you that I tested positive for COVID-19 on Friday,” Trosch said in a letter sent out by the courthouse. “I am isolating at home until Dec. 13th at the direction of the Mecklenburg County Public Health Director.”
She is the second Mecklenburg County judge known to have contracted the coronavirus. Superior Court Judge Donnie Hoover and his wife tested positive in March.
Cases reported at Charlotte homeless shelter
The number of COVID-19 cases at a North Carolina homeless shelter has risen to 45.
The Salvation Army Center of Hope in Charlotte said it has been working with public health officials since the outbreak was first discovered in November. Deronda Metz, social services director, said it’s a sign that people in need of places to stay will be at risk as coronavirus continues its spread.
“Demand is so great,” Metz said. “It’s so great. I think that’s one of the things COVID revealed.”
The outbreak also reflects the challenges for homeless shelters as colder temperatures may draw more people indoors, the Charlotte Observer reported.
This story was originally published December 8, 2020 at 7:22 AM.
