COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on April 22
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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 surpasses 954,000
At least 954,765 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 12,505 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 2,236 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, up from 1,963 the day before.
Twenty-five additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Thursday. Deaths don’t all occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as information becomes available.
State health officials reported 1,149 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Thursday, down from 1,168 on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the latest day for which data is available, 4.9% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials have said 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
More than 36% of the state’s adult population is fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data show.
More movie theaters announce reopening plans
Charlotte-based Stone Theatres is reopening some locations on Friday.
Vice president Dale Coleman told The Charlotte Observer that includes its movie theater in Indian Land, South Carolina, just south of Charlotte. The theater in Indian Trail will open April 30.
“It’s been a long year,” he said. “But we’ve made it to the point we’re excited to reopen our theaters and welcome our guests back.”
Regal Cinemas is also opening a few of its theaters in North Carolina on Friday.
Vaccines available at Charlotte brewery
Atrium Health is hosting a pop-up vaccine event at NoDa Brewing Company’s North End taproom on Thursday.
The event will last from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and 200 doses of the vaccine will be available. Guests must be 21 or older to attend and will receive a $5 gift certificate, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Mecklenburg County Health Director Gibbie Harris told reporters this week more pop-up events at bars and breweries across Charlotte have also been planned.
Brewers at 4001 Yancey previously hosted a walk-in vaccination pop-up with 150 Pfizer shots through VaxClinic.
Fake vaccine card scams spike
The Better Business Bureau of Southern Piedmont and Western North Carolina is warning Charlotte residents about a recent rise in COVID-19 vaccination card-based scams.
CEO Tom Bartholomy told The Charlotte Observer he’s received at least seven complaints in the area. One person said someone used a selfie they posted of their vaccine card to reproduce the card for sale
State Attorney General Josh Stein has called on companies such as eBay and Shopify to crackdown on the sale of fraudulent vaccine cards.
“The fake vaccine cards that are being sold online represent a real problem, because it will delay the ending of the pandemic, then more people will get sick and die,” Stein said.
NC farmers to get aid for having to quarantine workers
North Carolina is reimbursing farmers who had to pay to quarantine their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said $2 million is available to aid farmers who hire people with H-2A visas, which let them work in the United States on a temporary basis, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
Employers are required to offer those farm workers a place to stay, and their congregate housing became the site of several COVID-19 outbreaks last year. The aid could help farmers who had to put workers in hotels to quarantine while also facing losses in production.
“(Growers) are maxed out,” said Lee Wicker, deputy director of the N.C. Growers Association. “Their housing is full and they don’t have the infrastructure on farms to quarantine someone who has been exposed or tested positive, so this is an important step in trying to mitigate and end the COVID-19 epidemic.”
Farmers can apply for funds until Dec. 15 or the program runs out of money.
Young people drive higher positive testing
State epidemiologist Dr. Zack Moore said younger people are driving the increase in the percentage of positive COVID-19 test results.
The percent positive has steadily increased over the last several weeks, The News & Observer reported.
“When we look at the younger age groups ... where we have not had as many folks vaccinated, we’re seeing a higher proportion that test positive,” Moore said, “which is concerning.”
He said people between the ages of 18 and 49, specifically, are testing positive at a higher rate. Higher vaccination numbers among those younger groups would decrease the percent positive figure.
“Every person that’s vaccinated is helping to stop the spread,” Moore said.
NC to lift restrictions by June 1
All pandemic restrictions in North Carolina will be lifted by June 1, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday.
They include capacity restrictions at indoor restaurants, bars and concert venues, as well as limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings, The News & Observer reported.
However, the statewide mask mandate will remain in effect.
“With increasing vaccinations and ongoing work to slow the spread, I anticipate we’ll be able to lift all mandatory social distancing, capacity and mass gathering restrictions by June 1,” Cooper said.
He said he will issue a new order next week outlining safety restrictions for May. The current order expires April 30.
In Charlotte, local businesses said they’re now looking to the future. Joe Kuhlmann, co-owner of The Evening Muse, told The Charlotte Observer they are “anxious to get people back in for shows.”
“It’s very emotional,” Kuhlmann said. “It’s been a struggle and we’ve lost a lot of businesses and lives destroyed physically and financially. I want to honor those that didn’t make it.”
Wake high schools plan in-person graduation
Wake County high schools will offer in-person graduation ceremonies this spring at football stadiums and gymnasiums.
The events will be much larger than last year, when statewide restrictions forced schools to hold drive-thru ceremonies or individual walk-throughs, The News & Observer reported.
“Students have persevered,” Dhedra Lassiter, principal of Rolesville High School, said at a news conference Wednesday. “They’ve shown a great deal of resilience. They’ve been able to adapt. It’s a time that we all need to be able to celebrate them and make this just truly a celebration that they will always remember.”
Most schools will have to host multiple ceremonies to meet capacity limits and have graduations outdoors, barring any inclement weather
Hospitals ease COVID restrictions
Hospitals in the Triangle have begun peeling back coronavirus restrictions, allowing friends and family members more leeway in visiting their loved ones.
Duke Health became the latest to ease restrictions on Wednesday, allowing adults hospitalized for anything but COVID-19 to designate two people over 18 to visit during their stay. Both visitors can be in the patient’s room at the same time, The News & Observer reported.
“We recognize that the care and support of loved ones is an integral part of our patients’ recovery and well-being,” Dr. Thomas Owens, senior vice president of Duke University Health System, said in a written statement. “We are grateful for the community’s understanding over the past year as we’ve worked to balance these important patient interests with the public health priority to reduce the spread of COVID.”
WakeMed previously announced non-COVID-19 patients could have up to four visitors with two in the room at any given time, while UNC Rex Hospital allows four visitors with only two on a given day and just one in the room.
Charlotte mass vaccination site to close
The COVID-19 vaccination site at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte will wrap up its operations within the next few weeks.
The clinic is offering walk-in appointments for vaccine doses until May 22, said Gibbie Harris, public health director for Mecklenburg County. People can also book the last vaccine slots online at starmed.care or by phone at 980-314-9400.
Demand for COVID-19 vaccines is slowing in the region, and that could be partly due to a lack of urgency among younger people, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“We’re looking at taking vaccines where it’s easy and accessible,” Harris said. “We’re looking at all options at this point.”
This story was originally published April 22, 2021 at 7:04 AM.
