COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on April 20
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Case count surpasses 950,000
At least 950,566 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 12,437 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,200 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, down from 1,380 the day before.
Nineteen additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Tuesday. Deaths don’t all occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as information becomes available.
At least 1,170 people in North Carolina were reported hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Tuesday, up from 1,124 on Monday. It’s the highest they’ve been since March 6.
On Sunday, the latest day for which data is available, 7.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials have said 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Just over 31% of the state’s adult population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data shows.
Advocacy group wants Durham to change eviction process
Durham Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods, or CAN, is asking the Durham Housing Authority to give tenants 90 days to pay their rent after its due — more than three times the current time allotted.
DHA is operating under a nationwide eviction moratorium because of the coronavirus pandemic. But the moratorium is expected to expire at the end of June, The News & Observer reported.
CAN says the extension would give tenants and DHA more time to come to a resolution before eviction. Eviction filings remain on a person’s rental history for seven years even when there is no official judgment in the case.
“Any filing of an eviction case creates a mark that can haunt them for years,” said Kathryn Sabbeth, a law professor at UNC whose students work with tenants in eviction cases.
Walk-in vaccine appointments open in Charlotte area
Two more Charlotte area providers will start allowing walk-in COVID-19 vaccine appointments as demand for the shots slows.
Mecklenburg County Public Health and Novant Health on Tuesday said they are accepting walk-ins at their vaccination clinics, joining other sites in the region.
The announcements represent a shift from earlier this month, when appointment slots filled up quickly and only certain groups were eligible to get their shots. As of Monday, data show than one-third of people who live in Mecklenburg County have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Though supply for the vaccine isn’t as limited, slowing demand for the shots is “super concerning,” said Dr. David Priest, an infectious disease expert at Novant Health.
“We don’t want to plateau at 35, 40, 45% of individuals vaccinated,” Priest said.
Wake to offer vaccination clinics in public parks
Wake County Public Health plans to offer COVID-19 vaccines in some public parks to help expand availability.
The shots are being offered this week at Wendell Community Park. Green Road Park in Raleigh and Ting Park in Holly Springs also will be part of the rotation within the next three months, The News & Observer reported Tuesday.
“Our hope is that from the Wake County vaccine program standpoint, we do what we need to do to make vaccine available to anybody who wants it,” said Ryan Jury, vaccination branch manager for Wake County.
The county, which is home to Raleigh, is also getting rid of its COVID-19 vaccination wait list and hopes to offer walk-up appointments. It also has plans to administer vaccines from human services facilities starting later this month, officials said.
“As we open these regional centers, we’ll be able to tap into communities and populations that have been waiting for the vaccine to be closer,” Jury said.
NC approves summer learning rules
The N.C. State Board of Education on Monday approved rules for a program that will help North Carolina school districts address coronavirus-related learning loss over the summer.
School systems are required to offer at least 30 days or 150 hours of face-to-face summer classes in the program, which is designed for at-risk students, The News & Observer reported.
“This summer is a critical opportunity to provide immediate academic recovery for our students as well as laying the foundation for strategic, structural and long-term improvement in our state’s public school system,” said Eric Davis, chairman of the state board.
The program, which uses federal coronavirus relief funds, received unanimous approval from state lawmakers.
Which coronavirus numbers matter most in NC?
Health experts warn coronavirus metrics in North Carolina have stalled even as the number of people vaccinated continues to grow.
“There is this perception that COVID is on the decline, and unfortunately that is just not true,” said Dr. Erica M. Pettigrew, a physician at UNC and the medical director at the Orange County Health Department. “Our number of new daily cases was decreasing steadily from mid-January to mid-March, but since then it has plateaued.”
While there isn’t one figure experts consider to be the most important indicator of the pandemic, Pettigrew says she always checks the state health department website for the daily case count, positivity rate, hospitalizations and vaccination rates.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Safety also recommends monitoring its tiered COVID-19 county alert system.
Some COVID metrics worsen in Charlotte
Mecklenburg County’s positivity rate rose to 7.7% over the past week while average daily hospitalizations increased by 30% in the last 14 days.
While the case rate appears stable, The Charlotte Observer reported the seven-day moving average of new infections is up from this time last month.
According to data released by county health officials, the ZIP code 28203 had the highest concentration of cases and includes South End and parts of Dilworth. The lowest case rates are in ZIP codes 28207, along Queens and Providence roads, and 28210, near SouthPark and along Park Road.
Opera Carolina will return this fall
Opera Carolina is the latest Charlotte arts group returning to in-person performances.
The company announced its 2021-22 season on Monday, including socially distanced performances at the Belk Theater and Sarah Belk Gambrell Arts Center at Queens University. The Virtual Opera House platform will also be continued, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“The world has changed in the past year, but what hasn’t changed is the need and the power of connection. And there is no greater connection than music,” Opera Carolina Artistic Director James Meena said. “With this new season, we are back and ready to connect with our audiences on deeper levels.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2021 at 7:31 AM.
