COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on March 19
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Case count exceeds 893,000
At least 893,229 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 11,805 have died since last March, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,915 new coronavirus cases on Friday, down from 2,004 the day before.
Twenty-two additional deaths were reported Friday, bringing the statewide toll above 500 deaths this month. Deaths don’t all occur on the day the state reports them, and the state health department revises its daily figures as information becomes available.
At least 970 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Friday, down from 995 the day before.
As of Wednesday, the latest day for which data is available, 4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials have said 5% or lower is the target rate to control the spread of the virus.
More than 3.5 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in North Carolina, and more than 1.4 million people in the state have been fully vaccinated as of Thursday. That includes 16.5% of adults in the state.
CDC eases guidelines as more students return to classrooms
At least 40 of North Carolina’s 115 school districts voted in the last week to switch middle and high school students to Plan A with daily in-person instruction.
“At some point we have to say we’re going to push through and we’re going to, for the kids’ sake, for their social being, their mental health, as well as their educational progress,” Union County school board member Gary Sides said at an emergency meeting Monday. “We’re going to move on in trying to get back to some resemblance of normal.”
The changes have occurred as the CDC issued new guidelines Friday allowing K-12 students to sit just 3 feet apart instead of the previously recommended 6 feet, The News & Observer reported.
But Tamika Walker Kelly, president of the North Carolina Association of Educators, said they need more details as to why the guidelines were changed.
“We are concerned that the CDC has changed one of the basic rules for how to ensure school safety without demonstrating certainty that the change is justified by the science and can be implemented in a manner that does not detract from the larger long-term needs of students,” Kelly said in a statement.
CMS weighs more in-person classroom days
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Earnest Winston is expected to recommend looser COVID-19 restrictions for middle and high school students at next week’s board meeting, district officials said Friday.
Those recommendations will likely include a push for older students to move to Plan A with daily in-person instruction and minimal social distancing, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The school board previously voted to approve a four-day in-person schedule under Plan A for elementary students that is expected to begin on Monday.
Most middle and high school students are currently rotating in classrooms two days per week, according to The Observer.
Health officials warn about traveling over spring break
A public health advisory issued in Mecklenburg County on Friday warns residents against traveling over spring break to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and prevent more contagious variants from spreading.
“Spring break is upon us, and we know that this is going to have some potential impact, if it’s consistent with what we saw over the holidays,” Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said. “We’re a bit concerned about travel.”
Spring break is scheduled for April 1-9 for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, The Charlotte Observer reported. UNC Charlotte already had its spring break in February.
If residents do travel, health officials encourage them to get tested one to three days before their trip and within three to five days of returning home.
Mecklenburg passes 100,000 COVID cases
Mecklenburg County has passed 100,000 lab-confirmed infections of COVID-19, a little over a year after reporting its first case on March 12, 2020.
Half of those cases came in the last three months after a spike in cases that began in December, The Charlotte Observer reported.
The news comes one day after Mecklenburg County surpassed a different milestone — 100,000 doses of the vaccine administered. The county passed the benchmark Wednesday morning with 9.2% of residents — or 101,651 people — fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, The Charlotte Observer reported. Close to 15% of the population has been partially vaccinated.
It’s the second county in the state to pass the 100,000 vaccine threshold after Wake County.
County health officials have said the coronavirus caseload in Mecklenburg is stable, but warn the pandemic is not over. With an average of more than 170 new cases each day over the last week, case numbers are still higher than mid-October — when the county experienced a brief period of stability with a 7-day moving average of roughly 130 cases.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro schools ready for in-person classes
Chapel Hill-Carrboro students will start a hybrid Plan B with both in-person and virtual classes on Monday after the school board unanimously voted to approve the new schedule Thursday.
“We fully appreciate — every one of the board members here — that it is challenging for families who are sending kids back to have Wednesdays (remote),” board member Mary Ann Wolf said. However, the services the district will be able to provide are “so important” for remote learners, as well as those attending in person who may need additional support, she and others said.
Elementary students, students with specialized education plans, and children of district staff in grades preK-8 will start four days of in-person learning after spring break ends on April 5. But families who don’t want to send their students to school can keep them in virtual classes, The News & Observer reported.
Middle and high school students will start the Plan B hybrid on Monday with two days a week of in-person classes.
NASCAR will use COVID-sniffing dogs
NASCAR plans to use two highly trained dogs to sniff out COVID-19 as roughly 1,000 crew members, officials, and essential racing personnel enter Atlanta Motor Speedway ahead of this Sunday’s Cup race.
“It is a matter primarily of speed,” NASCAR managing director of racing operations Tom Bryant told The Charlotte Observer. “When you combine the speed of the dog with the accuracy level that they’re seeing from the dogs, we’ve not found a test yet that gives you that high a degree of confidence that it’s correct in that short amount of time.”
It takes the dogs 20 seconds to sniff an individual and detect the virus. If the virus is found, the dog will sit down and the person will have to report to the AMR/NASCAR safety team for a follow-up screening.
Teams are not being regularly tested before races, the Observer reported. But they are required to fill out a screening questionnaire, which relies on self-reported symptoms and exposures.
There are also temperature checks at the track and rapid tests available.
NC, SC residents cross state line for vaccines
North Carolina and South Carolina residents are looking to cross the border to receive COVID-19 vaccines, though health officials have encouraged people to get their shots where they live.
Last month, North Carolina updated guidelines to allow vaccine providers to reject people who don’t live, work or go to the doctor in the state. South Carolina hasn’t shared that type of guidance, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“We know that we have soft borders between states and between counties,” South Carolina state epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said Wednesday. “So we’re not looking to impose really strict residency requirements on people who can be vaccinated.”
Many NC universities plan in-person return for fall 2021
Many major universities in North Carolina have announced plans for students to return to campuses this fall.
UNC Charlotte announced Thursday it will have in-person classes.
Chancellor Sharon Gaber said the university is planning “full operations,” which include face-to-face instruction, full occupancy in residence halls and in-person campus services, the Charlotte Observer reported. Employees will also be able to return to their offices, and all campus buildings will operate at regular capacity.
Across the state, some other universities have announced plans for a more typical campus experience, including welcoming more students to dorms and raising capacity at campus facilities. The plans are subject to change, and other schools are still determining what they will do in the fall.
Universities have cited lower COVID-19 case trends and vaccine distribution efforts as they make their announcements.
Charlotte housing demand continues during COVID
There’s a shortage of homes for sale in the Charlotte area as higher prices bring affordability concerns, experts say.
The area is seeing its lowest supply of homes on the market in more than a decade, and housing demand has continued during the coronavirus pandemic.
Low costs of living and remote work options have drawn people to the region, the Charlotte Observer reported.
“They’re looking at what they can get for the money and they are gladly and willingly paying top dollar and outbidding local bidders here in Charlotte,” said David Kennedy, president of Canopy Realtor Association/Canopy MLS.
More vaccines to arrive at Charlotte area pharmacies
CVS is opening more appointment slots in Mecklenburg County as its pharmacies receive additional COVID-19 vaccines.
Vaccines will be offered at three stores near Charlotte, though the exact locations haven’t been released to the public, the Charlotte Observer reported. Appointments must be made in advance.
Under North Carolina’s vaccine rollout plan, those eligible to receive shots include residents 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, “front-line essential workers” and those with chronic medical conditions.
Anyone eligible for a vaccine who is interested in registering can use the CVS Pharmacy app, visit cvs.com or call 800-746-7287.
This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 8:11 AM.
