COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Jan. 30
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Case count tops 752,000
At least 752,627 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 9,287 have died since March, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Saturday reported 6,168 new COVID-19 cases, down from 6,959 the day before..
Health officials on Thursday reported the state’s second case of a new coronavirus strain that was first identified in the United Kingdom. The case was in Guilford County.
On Saturday, 130 coronavirus-related deaths were reported. It was the fourth day in a row that more than 100 daily deaths have been reported.
At least 2,833 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Saturday. down from 3,048
on Friday. That’s the lowest count since Dec. 23.
As of Saturday, 8.4% of coronavirus tests were positive, down from 8.7% reported on Wednesday, the latest previous day for which data are available. Health officials say the number should be about 5% to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Students with special needs struggle during the pandemic
Families of students with special needs say they’ve struggled to learn in online classes during the coronavirus pandemic, with many saying school closings have set them back.
“I can’t think of a single thing he’s learned this year,” Laurel Farrar said of her 6-year-old Jaiden Rodgers, who has speech and cognitive difficulties. “It’s like he’s lost rather than gained.”
Many districts have scaled back or eliminated special-education services, or they’ve moved them online, The News & Observer reported. But Farrar said her son “needs that one-on-one instruction” because he can’t learn online. Some schools have acknowledged the pitfalls to online learning for their students with special needs.
“I know we’re not perfect,” Melvin Diggs told The N&O. “I understand parents are having challenges, and we’re having challenges. But we’re trying to problem solve it and at the end of the day, I want to be known as an organization that’s responsive to parents.”
Diggs is the executive director of exceptional children and advanced and intellectually gifted children for Chatham County Schools, where Jaiden Rodgers attends.
Health director expresses concerns over sports restarting
Mecklenburg Health Director Gibbie Harris said Friday she asked Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools not to restart sports as coronavirus case numbers climbed in the region.
High school football practice is expected to start as soon as Feb. 8, the Charlotte Observer reported.
“As always, the school system and the board of education make those decisions, Harris said during a news conference Friday. “So, I have concerns about those sports starting back up.”
The district announced Wednesday that high school sports could begin in phases starting next week. They include swimming, basketball, cheerleading, lacrosse and soccer. Superintendent Earnest Winston said trends were “heading in the right direction to resume sports, arts and other extracurricular activities,” the Observer reported.
NC rises in national rankings for administering vaccines
North Carolina in the past week has jumped in national rankings for rates of administering the COVID-19 vaccine. A week ago, the state was near the bottom of the list.
But after a week of playing catch-up, the state rose from the 40th spot to 12th place, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It slipped back to 22nd by the end of Friday but has mass distribution events scheduled for the weekend.
“This is incredibly hard work, and they’ve shown that they are both up to the task and committed to partnering in new ways so that we vaccinate North Carolinians as fast as possible,” said Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
North Carolina changed its vaccine rollout strategy two weeks ago, shifting to large vaccine clinics and pushing medical providers to quickly administer first doses, The News & Observer reported.
CLT airport tower closes after controller tests COVID-19 positive
The control tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport closed temporarily on Friday after an air traffic controller tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
At least 233 flights at the airport were delayed through 6 p.m. on Friday, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware.com, but it was unclear how many were because of the tower closing.
The FAA conducted a cleaning of the tower from 2 to 4 p.m. while a “limited number” of controllers worked traffic from an airport ramp tower, according to a statement from the agency.
Personnel at the tower tested positive for COVID-19 on June 25, Oct. 26, Nov. 8, Dec. 1, Dec. 4 and on Friday, according to a FAA map of its facilities affected by COVID-19 across the U.S. Workers at Raleigh-Durham tested positive on Oct. 26, Jan. 1 and Jan 4, according to the FAA.
NC to offer vaccine incentives to inmates
A new plan could encourage North Carolina prison inmates to get COVID-19 vaccines.
The incentives are expected as the N.C. Department of Public Safety is currently giving first vaccine doses to hundreds of people who work and live in prisons, The Charlotte Observer reported Friday. The details about the plan will be released later Friday.
Statewide, more than 42 inmates and seven prison workers have died after contracting COVID-19.
So far, the N.C. National Guard has helped administer vaccines to at least 2,000 of 14,000 prison staffers, data show. Also, 650 of the 30,000 people in custody across the state have been vaccinated.
Officials currently are giving shots to inmates ages 65 and older as well as prison workers who care for sick inmates or have health care roles.
Charlotte vaccine event begins
A mass COVID-19 vaccination event started Friday in Charlotte, with plans to give shots to 19,000 people over the weekend.
Appointments were required for the clinic at Bank of America Stadium, home to the Charlotte Panthers. The event is being held in partnership with Atrium Health, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Honeywell, and Tepper Sports & Entertainment.
Last week, a similar event drew 15,700 people to Charlotte Motor Speedway for first vaccine doses, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The event comes as Charlotte churches and hospitals try to increase vaccine participation in Black, Hispanic and other marginalized communities that have been disproportionately hit by the coronavirus pandemic. They have planned clinics in familiar locations, such as churches, Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools and community health clinics, where recipients might feel more comfortable.
Coronavirus trends in Mecklenburg County have continued to improve with fewer daily new cases, even after North Carolina health officials reported the first known case of the UK variant in the region last week.
Deaths related to COVID-19 have remained high with January being the “deadliest month since the first COVID-19 case was reported locally in mid-March,” the Charlotte Observer reported.
Durham County halts new vaccine appointments
The Durham County Department of Public Health is temporarily suspending new appointments for COVID-19 vaccines.
Officials said their supply is running low, and they may not make more appointments until late February.
While existing vaccine appointments won’t be canceled, some people will be notified that their appointments are moving from the health department to Southern High School.
UNC investigating videos of potential COVID violations
UNC-Chapel Hill is checking if videos that appear to show students partying are authentic.
Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz on Thursday said students who violate coronavirus-related safety rules could be disciplined.
The school is aware of an Instagram account called “whereyallgoin_unc,” which calls out members of the campus community in posts that include videos of people drinking and dancing.
Guskiewicz, who didn’t directly address the account, said some students have faced citations this semester.
This story was originally published January 30, 2021 at 8:30 AM.
