COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on May 4
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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.
Cases surpass 975,000
At least 975,300 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and 12,700 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 981 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, down from 1,126 the day before.
Nine additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported 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 1,050 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Tuesday, up from 1,030 reported Monday.
As of Sunday, the latest day for which data is available, 6.7% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Nearly half of adults in North Carolina, or 49.7%, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Roughly 42% are fully vaccinated.
Wake County won’t penalize students who skip exams
School administrators in Wake County said they won’t penalize students who skip or do poorly on state-mandated in May and June.
They said the state end-of-grade, end-of-course or career and technical education exams won’t be held against Virtual Academy students who choose not to take them. EOC and CTE exams will only be factored into their final grades if it raises their marks, The News & Observer reported.
“For a family who has been virtual all year, who doesn’t want their student to come in, who’s concerned about medical issues, we don’t want them to have to make a choice between their child or their family’s health and their GPA,” Brad McMillen, assistant superintendent for data, accountability and research, said Tuesday. “So we’re not going to let that happen.”
NC vaccine rates drop by half
The number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered statewide fell by more than half over the last three weeks, The News & Observer reported.
In the first full week of April, more than 680,000 North Carolinians received a dose of the vaccine, about 336,000 of which were first doses.
This past week, the state administered under 337,500 doses and about 92,000 of those were first doses, according to the state health department.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, told The N&O the state has the supply to reach two-thirds of all adults by June. But she said but people have to be willing to take it.
“It’s really up to North Carolina about when we reach that,” Cohen said. “I’m hoping we can reach it as soon into the summer as possible, but it may take longer than that.”
Walmart, Sam’s Club offer walk-in COVID shots
Walmart and Sam’s Club pharmacies in North and South Carolina are now accepting walk-ins for the coronavirus vaccine.
“Wide spread vaccination is the only way we will eventually end the pandemic and help our country reopen,” Walmart’s executive vice president of Health & Wellness Dr. Cheryl Pegus said in a statement announcing the decision.
People can also make an appointment online ahead of time at walmart.com/COVIDvaccine and samsclub.com/covid.
DMV resumes some road tests amid pandemic
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles is resuming road tests for teenagers after the coronavirus pandemic stopped them for more than a year.
The DMV on Monday started to allow appointments for drivers under 18 who want provisional licenses, The News & Observer reported. Officials are continuing to waive the road test for most other drivers if they show proof of training or driving records.
While the spread of COVID-19 led the DMV to halt road tests in March 2020, the agency said vaccines have lowered the risk.
“Health safety conditions have improved, with the large number of N.C. residents who have had at least one or both shots,” DMV spokesperson Steve Abbott wrote in an email. “We will still institute health precautions with masks and temperature checks.”
Wake County offering walk-in vaccines
Wake County now has four locations offering COVID-19 vaccines to people who walk in or drive up.
The shots are available at Green Road Park in Raleigh, Wake County Human Services Center in Raleigh, Wake County Northern Regional Center in Wake Forest, and Wake County Public Health Center in Raleigh, The News & Observer reported Monday.
“These sites help us reach more people in the communities where they live, and the walk-in option provides a measure of convenience for people who have challenges with scheduling or who may decide on a whim that this is the day they want to get vaccinated,” Dr. Kim McDonald, public health director for Wake County, said in a news release.
Wake County plans to close its mass vaccination sites within a few weeks and will limit the number of vaccine screening questions. Other vaccine clinics in Fuquay-Varina and Zebulon are expected to open later this month.
More information about the changes to vaccination sites can be found here.
Most Charlotte colleges won’t require vaccine
Most students attending colleges or universities in the Charlotte area won’t be required to get the coronavirus vaccine before classes start next fall.
At least six of the 13 schools within 65 miles of Charlotte said they won’t require a vaccination in a recent survey by Queens University News Service. They include UNC Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College, Belmont Abbey College, Davidson College, Gardner-Webb University and Lenoir-Rhyne University.
Gibbie Harris, Mecklenburg County public health director, previously said she would leave the decision to individual universities but voiced concern about unvaccinated students coming to Charlotte.
“From my perspective, many of the students coming to our universities are coming from other parts of the country,” Harris said. “We don’t know if they are coming in from places with high rates of the virus, and we don’t know currently which of the variants are most common in those communities. So, as students come back in, I would prefer that they be vaccinated, absolutely.”
This story was originally published May 4, 2021 at 7:33 AM.
