COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 3
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
400 hospitalizations reported
At least 1,014,359 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and at least 13,434 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 374 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, up from 296 on Thursday.
No additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Friday. Deaths don’t necessarily occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as more information becomes available.
At least 400 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Friday, up from 396 the day before.
As of Wednesday — the most recent date available — 2.5% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 56% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and about 53% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
Cooper vetoes bill ending extra unemployment benefits
Gov. Roy Cooper vetoed a bill Friday that would have cut off extra federal unemployment benefits instituted during the coronavirus pandemic.
The federal government has been giving out an extra $300 a week to jobless people in addition to the normal state-funded unemployment benefits, The News & Observer reported. Republican lawmakers have tried to put an end to those benefits, saying they were discouraging people from returning to work.
But Cooper said he didn’t see any reason to cut the benefits early, given that the extra federal dollars will run out in September.
“The federal help that this bill cuts off will only last a few more weeks and it supplements North Carolina’s state benefits, which are among the stingiest in the country,” Cooper said in a press release. “Prematurely stopping these benefits hurts our state by sending back money that could be injected into our economy with people using it for things like food and rent.”
Charlotte advocates prepare for more people to need housing assistance
Social service workers and advocates are expecting to see more people ask for relief as roughly 250,000 North Carolinians have fallen behind on rent.
Court cases are expected to pick up as cases delayed during the pandemic are added to the schedule, the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative reported Thursday.
“I’m concerned that there are going to be a lot of people getting evicted,” said Tommy Holderness of Legal Aid of North Carolina. “I just think the numbers are gonna be really bad.”
Eligible tenants got relief when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week extended its nationwide ban on evictions. The new moratorium lasts until July 31 and is designed to help renters who have lost income due to COVID-19.
On Tuesday, the Republican majority on the N.C. Council of State rejected Gov. Roy Cooper’s proposed extension of a statewide eviction ban.
