Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Dec. 19
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Hospitalizations hit record high
At least 472,268 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 6,184 have died, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Saturday reported 6,164 new COVID-19 cases, down from 8,444 the day before, which was the highest single-day total since the start of the pandemic. Friday’s daily case count passed the previous record of 7,540 set on Dec. 11.
Fifty-nine coronavirus-related deaths were reported Saturday. December has been North Carolina’s deadliest month during the pandemic, The News & Observer reported on Saturday.
At least 2,846 people in North Carolina were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Saturday — a single-day high. Friday’s 2,824 hospitalizations had been the previous record.
About 11.3% of tests were reported positive as of Thursday, the latest day for which data are available, up from 10.5% on Wednesday. Health officials have said that number should be 5% or lower to slow the spread of COVID-19.
NC prison becomes coronavirus hotspot
Nash Correctional Institution in Eastern North Carolina went from having zero COVID-19 cases in November to more than 140 as of Friday.
At least 149 of the prison’s 630 inmates have been infected, and one person has died, the Charlotte Observer reported.
Prison spokesman John Bull told the Observer they don’t know how the coronavirus entered the prison, but family members and friends of those inside have heard varying stories — from an inmate transfer to a janitor asked to clean out the cell of another inmate who tested positive.
Most prison outbreaks elsewhere in the state seem to have come from staff members who picked it up in their communities, the Observer reported.
Some inmates say there hasn’t been enough testing, though Bull said 500 tests were done in the prison this month. Others have heard of inmates who test positive being allowed in common areas unmasked for prolonged periods of time.
“I understand the prison system is understaffed,” Michele Perry, who has a friend at Nash, told the Observer. “But this seems at best neglectful.”
NCCU hosts play about COVID’s impact on marginalized communities
A play hosted by N.C. Central University on Saturday is aimed at helping people understand how the coronavirus has impacted communities of color.
“A Crisis in Moments” by Dasan Ahanu is seven vignettes conveying health messages through “theatrical performance,” The News & Observer reported.
Undi Hoffler, director of Research Compliance and Technology Transfer at NCCU, said the play is meant to allow people to relate to the characters and adjust their behavior accordingly.
“People take it in differently,” Hoffler told The N&O. “People see themselves in the characters, and then that’s how that information is actually able to, in some ways, make an even greater impact than just listening to a lecture.”
‘Forever chemicals’ hinder effectiveness of vaccine
“Forever chemicals” also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in some drinking water in North Carolina could impact the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccine, scientists say.
Research has shown PFAS lead to immune suppression, said Jamie DeWitt, an East Carolina University toxicologist.
“The vaccine is going to be effective based on its formulation,” DeWitt said. “What PFAS affect is the body’s ability to make antibodies against the vaccine.”
More than a million people who live along the Haw and Cape Fear Rivers in North Carolina have been exposed to PFAS in their drinking water, The News & Observer reported.
Wake Forest football game called off
Florida State canceled its game against Wake Forest on Saturday after informing the ACC that a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent quarantining and contact tracing left them without enough available offensive linemen.
This is the third time Florida State has called off a game within 24 hours of kick-off, The News & Observer reported.
Wake Forest had to pause its season because of positive coronavirus tests and just returned to playing last week. The team lost 45-21 at Louisville.
Clusters reported at Charlotte schools
There are active coronavirus clusters at 46 congregate living centers and four child care centers in Charlotte.
Mecklenburg Public Health released information about the clusters on Friday, the Charlotte Observer reported. They include Davidson Day School and Francis Bradley Middle School in Huntersville.
“This is the first identified cluster in a CMS facility,” district spokeswoman Yaviri Escalera said in a statement Friday afternoon about Bradley Middle School. “All impacted students and staff were notified last week of confirmed cases and/or the need to quarantine due to close contact with infected persons. No impacted students or staff have been in the building since notification was made.”
The clusters come as Mecklenburg County reported record hospitalizations on Friday, which have climbed by nearly 36% in the first half of December, the Observer reported.
The county also reported a record 937 new coronavirus cases on Friday.
At Lake Norman in neighboring Lincoln County, a COVID-19 spike at the Denver campus of Lincoln Charter School prompted a switch to remote-learning through Jan. 19.
On Dec. 11 alone, chief administrator Jonathan Bryant told his school board, 20 teachers and teacher assistants at the Denver campus stayed home due to COVID-19 positive tests either in their children or themselves.
Bryant blamed what he called first-time COVID-19 spread in school buildings on “Thanksgiving break traveling to see family members.”
NC father, son accused of coronavirus relief fraud
A North Carolina father and son are accused of participating in a scheme to get more than $1.7 million in coronavirus relief money.
Izzat Freitekh, who owns a restaurant in Charlotte, and his son Tarik Freitekh are charged with bank fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to federal prosecutors. In court documents, officials say the family members exaggerated employee salaries to get funds from the Paycheck Protection Program, meant to help businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
Izzat Freitekh told The Charlotte Observer the two are innocent.
“We trust the courts,” he said. “We trust the judges in Charlotte and all over the country. You should wait until the end of the story when the judge will say to me, ‘You were right. You are not guilty.’”
A lawyer for Tarik Freitekh declined to comment.
Most NC highway patrol cadets get positive COVID-19 tests
Dozens of N.C. State Highway Patrol cadets tested positive for COVID-19, officials say.
At least 37 cadets and two staffers were diagnosed with the disease, according to Sgt. Christopher Knox. Officials say the infections didn’t impact training or Friday’s graduation.
“All of the 50 cadets and staff on campus were tested once it was determined that a member of the group displayed symptoms consistent with COVID-19,” Knox, a highway patrol spokesperson, wrote in an email. “We have worked in conjunction with the local health department during this unfortunate event to ensure these members were quarantined in compliance with health guidelines.”
Highway patrol says it has safety precautions in place during training, The News & Observer reported.
COVID-19 cluster reported at Wake County schools
The Wake County school district on Thursday reported its first coronavirus cluster and a new record caseload.
In the past week, the number of new cases in the district reached 128, up from 84 cases reported the week before and the highest level since the start of the pandemic. Sixty-nine of the recent infections were among students, according to Wake schools.
The cases were spread across 83 schools of the more than 190 in the district. Health officials have said it’s “reasonable to expect” each campus to have one new case per week, The News & Observer reported.
Also in the latest schools report, at least five COVID-19 infections were tied to Lynn Road Elementary School within a span of 14 days. People in the cluster at the Raleigh school were told to go into isolation or quarantine, officials say.
Wake students are scheduled to start winter break this weekend. The district is pausing face-to-face classes from Jan. 4-15 due to fears about a possible case surge and trouble finding substitute teachers.
This story was originally published December 19, 2020 at 8:44 AM.
