NC adds over 100 COVID deaths as average daily new cases are lowest in a month
North Carolina added 135 deaths to the state’s COVID-19 death toll on Wednesday, but average new case reports over the last week are the lowest they’ve been in over a month.
Deaths do not all occur on the date they are reported. The state Department of Health and Human Services updates its numbers as information becomes available. According to the most recent DHHS data, the deadliest days of the pandemic were Jan. 4 and Jan. 15, when 105 people died each day.
Over the last week, DHHS has added an average of 86 deaths per day to the state’s overall number of deaths.
As of Wednesday, 10,181 North Carolinians have died due to the virus.
Of those, 2,627 have died in 2021, according to the most recent data from DHHS. Seven deaths are missing dates of death, as of Wednesday.
DHHS reported 3,833 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, an increase of over 1,000 from Tuesday’s new case count.
Over the last week, though, DHHS has reported an average of 4,227 new cases per day, the lowest seven-day average since Dec. 4.
The last time that DHHS reported over 7,000 new cases in day was Jan. 23.
Statewide hospitalizations dropped by 86 to 2,291 with 96% of hospitals reporting, according to DHHS.
It’s the fewest reported since Dec. 7.
Among the tests reported on Monday, the latest day with data available, 7.9% returned positive, a decrease from the 9.3% reported from Sunday.
The state has seen a gradual decrease in the percent positive rate over the last few weeks. On Jan. 4, the state reported a pandemic high of 17.1%.
State health officials have said that they want the rate at 5% or lower. The last time that North Carolina met this standard was Sept. 24.
Case and hospitalization data reported by DHHS are preliminary and subject to change upon further investigation.
Vaccination update
As of Wednesday, 1,010,565 first doses of the vaccine and 331,401 second doses have been administered in North Carolina by health providers.
The COVID-19 vaccine requires two doses, given roughly four weeks apart, in order to be fully effective.
Of the first doses that have arrived from the federal government in North Carolina, all have been administered. Overall, including second doses, 87% of doses have been administered.
Vaccines at long-term care facilities are administered by a partnership of the federal government, Walgreens and CVS. Through that partnership, another 144,587 doses have been administered in North Carolina, as of Wednesday.
Of all the doses that have arrived in North Carolina for long-term care facilities, 70% of first doses have been administered. When second doses are included, 48% have been administered.
Combining doses administered through the federal long-term facility program and through the state, 1,486,544 doses have been administered in North Carolina.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Gov. Roy Cooper said teachers, child care center employees and school support staff will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 24. This does not include professors at universities and colleges but does include preK-12 educators and child care workers at public schools, charter schools and private schools.
Other front-line workers in North Carolina’s Group 3, which includes first responders, farm workers, restaurant employees and grocery store workers, will be eligible for the vaccine on March 10, Cooper said.
Currently, the state is only offering vaccines to health care workers, those age 65 and older, and residents and staff at long-term care facilities.
DHHS has created an online portal at findmygroup.nc.gov for people trying to find out what vaccination group they are in.
DHHS has also opened a vaccine help line at 888-675-4567 that will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The help line provides general information about the COVID-19 vaccine including information on eligibility, clinical questions about the vaccine, and how to find vaccine locations.
People can also enter their address or ZIP code at myspot.nc.gov/map-view to find their nearest vaccine location.
General information on the vaccine, specifically as it relates to North Carolina, can be found at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines.
ICU and hospital capacity
DHHS reported 461 available intensive care unit beds on Wednesday, down 13 from Tuesday.
Of the 1,999 ICU beds in use, 540 are adult COVID-19 patients, down 18 from Tuesday’s total.
Overall, the number of adult ICU patients statewide has decreased steadily from the 880 reported on Jan. 16.
Available inpatient beds across the state are now at 5,036, a decrease of 486 from Tuesday.
The inpatient beds in use are not all being used by COVID-19 patients, and the fluctuation in available beds does not indicate a surge in patients, according to DHHS.
As of Wednesday, 81% of ICU beds and 76% of inpatient beds are in use statewide.
This story was originally published February 10, 2021 at 1:06 PM.