NC’s COVID hospitalizations stay high, but numbers show a glimmer of encouraging news
COVID-19 hospitalizations and case counts remained high in North Carolina on Sunday, according to data reported by the state Department of Health and Human Services.
DHHS reported 6,911 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday. While that is the 14th-highest single-day case number recorded during the pandemic, every day with a higher total has come in the last month.
There were 3,862 hospital patients with COVID-19 on Sunday, with data coming from 94% of North Carolina’s hospitals. That includes 863 intensive care unit patients.
Over the past two weeks, North Carolina’s seven-day average for hospitalizations has increased by about 500 patients, climbing from 3,423 patients on Jan. 3 to 3,921 patients Sunday.
Much of the increase in hospitalizations happened during the week of Jan. 3, with the seven-day average reaching 3,841 patients last Sunday.
Averages are considered more useful than single-day numbers in determining general trends because they better account for one-day highs or lows.
North Carolina reported 67 COVID-19 deaths on Sunday, bringing the pandemic’s total toll to 8,083 residents in the state. Deaths are not reported on the day they happen, but instead as they are confirmed.
Over the past two weeks, DHHS has reported 1,142 COVID-19 deaths.
There is a glimmer of encouraging news in North Carolina’s COVID-19 testing numbers. Since Jan. 9, the week-long average for positive tests has fallen every day.
On Jan. 8, the seven-day average was 15%. It reached 12% on Friday, the last day for which data is available.
The average is, however, still significantly higher than the 5% target set by state health officials.
The single-day positivity rate on Friday was 10%, the lowest single-day number since Dec. 23.