COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on March 23
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We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Case count nears 900,000
At least 899,164 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 11,854 have died since last March, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,062 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, down from 1,248 the day before.
Eighteen additional deaths were reported Tuesday. 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 956 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Tuesday, up from 947 on Monday.
On Sunday, the latest day for which data are available, 6.3% 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 3.8 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 Tuesday.
Cooper peels back COVID restrictions
Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday he plans to ease several coronavirus restrictions in North Carolina, including upping the number of people allowed at gatherings and increasing capacity limits at retailers and restaurants.
“We can move forward with easing restrictions if we do it safely,” Cooper said during a news conference.
The new guidelines come as the governor’s most recent executive order was set to expire Friday, The News & Observer reported. Under the new changes, up to 50 people will be allowed at indoor gatherings and 100 will be allowed outdoors.
Restaurants, breweries and gyms can open with 75% capacity indoors and 100% capacity outdoors, and bars and music venues can open at 50% capacities. The alcohol curfew is also being removed.
But some businesses say the increased capacity limits won’t do much to help.
Gregg McCraw with the Neighborhood Theatre, an independent music venue in Charlotte, said they can’t reopen even at 50% capacity with the current social distancing rules in place.
“Changing the percentage capacity or the maximum number (of people allowed) won’t do anything for us until the minimum distance rule is lowered,” he told The Charlotte Observer. “Changes from 30% to 50% or 250 to 500 won’t change our reality.”
Charlotte expected to get additional COVID-19 relief funds
Charlotte is expecting to get $149 million in coronavirus relief funds from the federal government.
The allotments from the American Rescue plan could come in May 2021 and May 2022, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Charlotte City Manager Marcus Jones on Monday told city council he has been in contact with officials in Mecklenburg County and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, which are also expected to receive funding.
Governments can spend the money to help residents, small businesses and industries that have faced hardships during the coronavirus pandemic, according to Shawn Heath, special assistant to the city manager.
Duke Energy reduces footprint as pandemic leads to remote work
Duke Energy, a major employer in Charlotte, is selling its Piedmont Natural Gas office as COVID-19 leads people to work remotely.
Catherine Butler, a Duke Energy spokesperson, said the utilities provider thinks people will split their work between the office and their homes when the pandemic ends.
“That naturally draws you to a smaller real estate footprint,” Butler said.
The company is under contract to sell its building near Yancey Road and South Tryon Street to Terwilliger Pappas, an apartment developer, The Charlotte Observer reported Monday.
All adults eligible for vaccines in some NC counties
At least four of 100 counties across North Carolina allow all adults to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
Craven, Cumberland, Greene and Rockingham counties have opened up eligibility to people in Group 5 of the state’s vaccination plan, according to notices from health departments and health care systems.
Other parts of the state are currently vaccinating people in Groups 1 to 4a, including older adults, health care and frontline essential workers and people with underlying medical conditions.
State health officials have said the goal is to make every adult resident eligible to be vaccinated by the beginning of May.
“We want to provide for some local flexibility here, and obviously, our goal is to have a vaccine available for all adults by May 1,” Gov. Roy Cooper said last week. “So some areas may have moved faster than the others. We want to make sure, however, that they concentrate on Groups 1 through 4.”
COVID-19 outbreak tied to Duke Raleigh Hospital
A coronavirus outbreak has been linked to Duke Raleigh Hospital, officials said.
Duke Health said in a statement that several cases among workers and patients were traced to the inpatient unit on the fifth floor of the facility. At least 20 cases have been identified, and Duke Health continues to search for others.
“Duke Health is committed to the safety of our patients, their loved ones and our staff members,” the statement said. “We are working to conduct additional COVID-19 tests, complete a deep clean of the unit, and temporarily restricting visitations to this unit until the full cleaning and review process is complete, which is expected later this week.”
Wake, Johnston to bring back daily in-person classes
The school boards in Wake and Johnston counties voted Monday to resume daily in-person classes for all grade levels.
In Wake County, the transition to in-person classes under Plan A for middle and high schools starts April 5 and continues throughout the month. The district approved the plan requiring minimal social distancing as some teachers say it isn’t safe for students to return to school buildings.
“We know what the practices are to implement Plan A safely,” said Cathy Moore, superintendent of Wake County schools. “There is no risk-free proposition in any of this. Our teachers are the front-line workers in the classroom with what we’re asking of them, and they have responded along the way.”
In Johnston County, the school board on Monday voted bring back middle and high school students for daily in-person instruction under Plan A starting April 12.
Under the approved plan, students will have in-person classes four days a week with Wednesday as a designated remote learning day, The News & Observer reported.
“This is a step toward normalcy,” said Johnston County Superintendent Eric Bracy. “It’s not normalcy yet.”
COVID case rates fall in Charlotte ZIP codes
All ZIP codes in the Charlotte area have fewer than 400 new coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents, according to county data based on a 14-day average.
The countywide average fell from 247.3 new cases per 100,000 to 210.6 from March 4 to March 17, The Charlotte Observer reported.
ZIP codes encompassing Tryon Hills, Druid Hills and some streets between uptown and NoDa saw the largest rate drop last week, while the ZIP codes 28278, 28202 and 28213 saw an uptick in COVID-19 cases.
The 28204 zip code — which includes Cherry and Elizabeth — had the highest concentration of infections in Mecklenburg County last week, according to The Observer.
Johnston County hosting vaccine clinic
The Johnston County Health Department is holding a mass drive-thru COVID-19 vaccination clinic Wednesday at North Johnston High School.
The 2,000 vaccines will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to people in groups 1 through 4 starting at 8 a.m. until providers are out of doses. Only the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine will be offered.
Attendees should enter at the back entrance of the high school campus on Watson Road near the athletic fields.
Johnston County has asked those planning to attend the clinic to bring a filled-out pre-vaccination form that can be found online at johnstonnc.com/covid19/files/Prevaccination_Covid_Reg_Form.pdf.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 7:31 AM.
