Triangle counties now show ‘substantial’ COVID-19 community spread
Orange County has joined Durham and Wake in displaying “substantial” levels of COVID-19 community spread, according to state data released Friday.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports that from a period of Jan. 3 to Jan. 16, all three counties fell under the orange alert-system moniker indicating that they each demonstrated substantial amounts of community spread.
Throughout the state, all but one county is labeled red or orange, meaning that nearly the entire state is experiencing either substantial or “critical” spread.
Chatham County is labeled orange, while Johnston, Franklin, Granville, Person and Harnett counties are red.
For a county to be considered red, it must have more than 200 new cases per 100,000 residents, with at least 42 total cases, in the past 14 days. The county must also have either high impact on hospitals, or a rate of positive tests higher than 10%.
While Wake, Durham and Orange currently meet the case-per-resident metric for red status, none of them are seeing high impact on hospitals or more than 10% of tests coming back positive, according to the DHHS data.
For orange, the county must have between 101 and 200 new cases per 100,000 residents, with at least 21 total cases, in the past 14 days. It must also have either moderate impact on hospitals, or a percent positive rate of 8 to 10%.
Counties that do not meet either set of criteria are labeled yellow counties, with “significant” community spread. Statewide, only Greene County currently falls under this designation.
COVID-19 spread, vaccines in Wake County
In Wake County, as of Sunday, DHHS has reported 9,816 new cases in the past 14 days, at a rate of 883 new cases per 100,000 residents. As of Friday, the most recent day of data, 8.6% of tests in the county were returning positive. The county’s hospitals were moderately impacted during the period observed in the DHHS report.
A reported 413 people in Wake County have died from the virus, according to state data.
The state releases data on COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts every Thursday. As of last week 47,655 doses had been distributed in Wake.
The vaccine requires two doses, spaced roughly a month apart, in order to be fully effective. Currently, health care workers and individuals aged 65 or older are eligible to receive the vaccine.
Wake had distributed 38,653 first doses and 9,002 second doses by Thursday.
COVID-19 spread, vaccines in Durham County
In Durham County, DHHS reported 1,897 new cases over the two weeks ending Sunday — at a rate of 590 new cases per 100,000 residents. As of Friday, 8% of tests in the county were coming back positive. For the period from Jan. 3 to Jan. 16, DHHS reports the county saw a moderate impact on hospitals.
A reported 169 people in the county had died from COVID-19 as of Sunday.
So far, at least 23,771 doses of the vaccine have been distributed in Durham — 17,799 of which were first doses, and 5,972 of which were second doses.
COVID-19 spread, vaccines in Orange County
In Orange County, DHHS reported 698 new cases over the past 14 days, at a rate of 470 per 100,000 residents. It said 3.4% of tests in the county were returning positive. The county’s hospitals saw a moderate impact from Jan. 3 to Jan. 16, according to DHHS.
A total of 77 county residents have died from the virus, DHHS reported.
As of Thursday, Orange County had distributed 14,677 total doses of the vaccine. 11,510 were first doses, and 3,167 were second doses.
Outbreaks in Triangle counties
On Thursday, DHHS reported 42 ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks at congregate care facilities in Wake County. Among these was a new outbreak at Phoenix Assisted Care in Cary — an assisted living facility for seniors.
There, 34 residents and one staff member have contracted the virus, according to DHHS. Wake County Public Health said in a news release that this was the first such outbreak at the facility.
In Raleigh, two state prisons are the site of outbreaks that have infected over 150 inmates. At Central Prison and the N.C. Correctional Institution for Women, one inmate from each facility has died in the past month, as dozens more have contracted the virus.
DHHS told The News & Observer last week that it was the third COVID-19 outbreak at each facility.
The state defines an outbreak in congregate care facilities as two or more positive tests.
In Durham, DHHS data shows 20 such ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks, including residential care and correctional facilities and nursing homes. Orange County has six ongoing outbreaks across four nursing homes and two residential care facilities.
And on Friday, one of North Carolina’s largest private schools suspended in-person classes after new COVID-19 cases were detected.
Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh told families Thursday that it would switch to remote learning for two weeks at the direction of the Wake County Health Department, The N&O reported. Two students and an office educator had tested positive for the virus.
COVID testing, vaccine availability expand
Wake County said Friday it would partner with the city of Raleigh and town of Garner to provide additional free outdoor, drive-through testing sites.
The new sites will open Monday, Jan. 25, at Jaycee Park and the Sertoma Arts Center in Raleigh, as well as Lake Benson Park in Garner.
Testing will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 31.
In Durham, the county Department of Public Health announced Wednesday it would expand options to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine appointments. The department’s website now allows for online bookings, and has a wait list available for those who are unable to find an appointment.
These options provide alternatives to the phone line, but eligible county residents may still call 919-560-HELP (or, 919-560-4357) to make an appointment.
This story was originally published January 24, 2021 at 5:14 PM.