COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 17
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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.
More than 300 new cases reported
At least 1,009,893 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 13,320 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 362 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, up from 333 on Wednesday.
Six additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Thursday. Deaths don’t necessarily occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as information becomes available.
At least 485 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Thursday, down from 495 the day before.
As of Tuesday — the latest day with available data — 1.9% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 55% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and about 51% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
Triangle schools still requiring masks
As some families push to make wearing face masks in schools optional, Triangle area districts are following North Carolina guidelines that require them.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro is joining Chatham, Durham, Johnston, Orange and Wake county districts in continuing to follow the state mandate. Officials have said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing masks in schools, and children younger than 12 can’t receive COVID-19 vaccines.
“We expect that all schools will follow the guidance outlined in the toolkit to fulfill their obligation to keep their students safe,” Catie Armstrong, a spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said in an email.
Last week, Harnett County schools voted to make masks optional during its summer programming, becoming what was believed to have been the first district to stop following the state’s guidelines.
On Tuesday, some people who spoke at the Wake County school board meeting pressed district leaders to defy the mandate that the state has in place for schools. But the district said it legally has to continue requiring masks, The News & Observer reported.
Spectrum Center to start running at full capacity
The Spectrum Center, a sports arena in Charlotte, plans to reopen at full capacity when it starts hosting non-NBA events in August.
“We just thought it was time to let people know: We’re back in business,” said Donna Julian, general manager for the venue and Charlotte Hornets executive vice president, on Wednesday. “And (being) at 100% capacity... basically that opens us up to be able to do all of the events we were doing before.”
Julian said the path toward more normal events came after North Carolina recently lifted restrictions on event capacity and social distancing.
The Spectrum Center won’t designate sections for vaccinated people or ask whether attendees have been vaccinated. But event promoters will be able to come up with their own safety measures, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
Charlotte area sees backlog of DWI cases
One North Carolina county has a backlog of more than 3,000 DWI cases after the coronavirus pandemic forced courts to close.
Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, has an experimental 10-week program aimed at tackling the cases. One attorney is doubtful about whether it will work to make the amount more manageable, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“I think it’s impossible,” defense attorney George Laughrun said.
But Judge Matt Osman said the model could end up being a long-term solution.
“We think there are now some opportunities to change and improve our processes to make them more efficient,” he said. “This [system] is a key part of that.”
As COVID-19 started its spread through the state, Mecklenburg shut down its courthouse in March 2020. Now, 1,252 of the DWI cases in the backlog are due to the pandemic-related closure.
Volunteers go door-to-door promoting vaccines
Volunteers in Southeast Raleigh are going door-to-door encouraging residents in areas where the vaccination rate lags to get a shot.
Michael Regan, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Dr. Cameron Webb, a White House policy advisor for COVID-19 equity, spoke to those volunteers Tuesday, The News & Observer reported.
“The president has made it his mission to try to get that number up to 70% by July 4th,” Regan said, referring to President Joe Biden. “In order to do that, it’s going to take every single one of us.”
This story was originally published June 17, 2021 at 7:07 AM.
