New daily COVID cases under 1,000 in NC for first time in over five months
North Carolina reported 997 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, the fewest reported in a day and the first time the number has been under 1,000 since Sept. 29.
Over the last week, the state has reported an average of 1,785 new cases per day. That seven-day average has decreased rapidly since it was a pandemic high of 8,654 on Jan. 12.
Even as COVID-19 rates fall, more people are getting vaccinated. Over 1.1 million North Carolinians have been vaccinated from COVID-19 since the state began offering vaccinations in mid-December.
Supply is rising with the addition of a third federally authorized vaccine — the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine. And Wednesday, North Carolina’s first and only federally run vaccination site will open in Greensboro. It is expected to vaccinate 3,000 people a day, by appointment, and will be open seven days a week for two months.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said Tuesday that an increase in the number of vaccine doses could lead state officials to make some people in Group 4 eligible sooner than originally announced.
Vaccinations are underway in Group 3 — front-line essential workers, including teachers, school personnel and day-care workers.
“The latest we would go is March 24, but we would look to see if we could move that up sooner,” Cohen said at a news conference.
Group 4 will begin with those who have medical conditions that put them at high risk from COVID-19, homeless people and people who are incarcerated who haven’t yet received a vaccine.
DHHS reported 1,147 statewide hospitalizations due to COVID, a slight increase from Monday’s count, but it’s the fourth straight day that hospitalizations have been under 1,200.
Prior to Saturday, the hospitalization count was last under 1,200 on Nov. 8.
Among the tests reported on Sunday, the latest day with available data, 5.2% returned positive.
Over the last week of available data, an average of 4.8% of tests returned positive per day.
It’s the second straight day that the average has been under 5%, a threshold that the state health officials have been wanting to meet for months.
The seven-day average from Saturday was the first time it was under 5% since DHHS started tracking percent positive rates.
Gov. Roy Cooper praised the improvements at a news conference Tuesday, but also re-committed North Carolina to public health measures like the state’s mask mandate.
“We don’t intend to lift the mask mandate in North Carolina and look forward to even better numbers and more progress ahead as we get more people vaccinated,” Cooper said.
Cooper and Cohen were both vaccinated last week, Cooper with the Pfizer vaccine and Cohen with the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
North Carolina will likely not receive more doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine until the end of March, Cohen said, as the company is ramping up its manufacturing process.
Cohen also noted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for newly vaccinated people, released Monday, that allows people who are vaccinated to gather with other vaccinated people without wearing a mask.
“I’m looking forward to hugging my parents for the first time in more than a year,” Cohen said, adding that other similar, safe reunions will be possible once more people take the available vaccine.
COVID-19 data of the day
Case and hospitalization data reported by DHHS are preliminary and subject to change upon further investigation. Here are additional statistics reported Tuesday, with changes from the previous day:
- Total cases: 875,903 (+997)
- Deaths: 11,552 (+17)*
- Tests: 10,581,557 (+19,066)
- People hospitalized: 1,147 (+3)
- COVID-19 adult ICU patients: 300 (-17)
- Available ICU beds: 651 (-15)
- Available inpatient beds: 5,967 (-346)
- Patients on ventilators: 937 (+34)
Inpatient and ICU beds are not all used by COVID-19 patients, according to DHHS.
*Deaths do not all occur on the date they are reported. DHHS updates its numbers as information becomes available. For example, according to the latest DHHS data, the deadliest day of the pandemic was Jan. 15 when 123 people died. The number of deaths assigned to that date has increased by over 20 since the end of January.
Vaccine statistics reported Tuesday:
- First doses arrived: 1,695,700
- First doses administered: 1,704,219 (101%)**
- Second doses arrived: 1,213,775
- Second doses administered: 1,007,310 (83%)
- Single shot doses arrived: 83,700
- Single shot doses administered: 7,783 (9%)
**The doses administered can exceed doses arrived because hospitals and other health care providers have learned that they can get an extra dose from each vial of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.
Vaccine doses administered in North Carolina through the federal, long-term care program:
- First doses arrived: 145,900
- First doses administered: 124,552 (85%)
- Second doses arrived: 145,900
- Second doses administered: 94,679 (65%)
Overall vaccine statistics:
- Total doses administered: 2,938,543
- Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,109,772
- Percent of population partially vaccinated: 17.4%
- Percent of population fully vaccinated: 10.6%
Percent of population fully vaccinated by race:
- American Indian or Alaskan Native: 4.1%
- Asian or Pacific Islander: 6.9%
- Black or African-American: 5.7%
- White: 10.7%
By ethnicity:
- Hispanic: 2.4%
- Non-Hispanic: 10.4%
This story was originally published March 9, 2021 at 3:19 PM.