COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 21
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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 1,400 new cases reported
At least 1,028,131 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 13,550 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 1,434 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, up from 871 on Tuesday.
Nine additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Wednesday. 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 694 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, up from 672 the day before.
As of Monday, the latest day available, 7.9% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 60% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 56% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
Delta variant is more prevalent in young people
The more contagious delta variant is spreading largely among children because they are not yet vaccinated, and no COVID-19 vaccine is authorized for children under 12 in the U.S.
David Wohl, a professor of medicine who specializes in infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, told The News & Observer that people who are getting COVID-19 now are “largely younger and younger people.”
Younger people can exhibit “different patterns of symptoms,” but there is little research on how delta infection symptoms differ from other variants, Wohl said.
People who have been vaccinated have a “broader, quicker response” against the delta variant.
“I think that’s why we’re seeing people who have been vaccinated not really getting sick from delta,” Wohl said.
NC adjusts school mask requirements
All elementary and middle school students and staff should be required by their districts to wear face masks, Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday.
Under the updated state health guidelines, schools should require students in K-8 to wear masks indoors regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. All other unvaccinated students or staff at all schools should also wear masks, The News & Observer reported.
The current executive order with some pandemic restrictions still in place will expire at the end of the month, Cooper said.
Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools hasn’t said whether students and teachers will be required to wear masks when school starts again, saying in a statement Wednesday they will “discuss this guidance and other recommendations provided by leading health professionals and organizations as we finalize decisions related to the opening of school for the upcoming year.”
Cooper’s announcement comes after several people spoke at Wake County’s school board meeting Tuesday and urged officials to not require face masks.
School boards in Randolph and Union counties have passed resolutions calling for optional mask wearing. But some parents have said they are concerned about hospitalizations among the unvaccinated and the threat of the delta variant in the state.
Answers to questions about the updated school mask guidelines can be found here.
Vaccination rates in much of Triangle above NC average
As the delta variant poses risks in North Carolina, the Triangle has a higher COVID-19 vaccination rate than the statewide average.
Health officials attribute a recent rise in coronavirus infections to the variant, which is believed to be more contagious. Since May, 99% of cases in the state have been among those who didn’t get vaccinated.
“In Wake, Durham and Orange counties, 59%, 57% and 66% of the population, respectively, have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine,” The News & Observer reported. “The statewide rate is 49%.”
While the COVID-19 spread is lower in those areas in comparison to many other North Carolina counties, Wake is urging people to get tested and vaccinated.
But in Johnston County, the rate of new cases is higher and just 41% of residents have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot.
Hospitals renew calls to get vaccine as cases rise
Some Charlotte area health providers are seeing a rise in coronavirus-related hospitalizations as officials urge people to get vaccinated against the disease.
“We’re nowhere near where we were at the worst of things,” said Dr. Katie Passaretti of Atrium Health. “But certainly the rate of increase over the past couple of weeks is concerning.”
The trend comes as Mecklenburg County coronavirus case counts increase and the delta variant spreads in the state. Dr. David Priest of Novant Health said Tuesday that it’s an important time to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
“The serious (cases), the hospitalized — 99 plus percent of the time — are those who are unvaccinated,” he said.
COVID-19 outbreak reported in fire department
Two firefighters were hospitalized after a COVID-19 outbreak in North Carolina, officials said.
Albemarle Fire Department, northeast of Charlotte, received help with staffing after it reported up to 10 cases of the virus, McClatchy News reported Tuesday.
Officials said some workers are starting to return to work as others remain sick.
“All three fire station locations continue to be staffed and provide services,” the department wrote in a Facebook post. “We are taking precautions to keep the public and our staff safe as we provide emergency services.”
NC to offer home vaccinations
North Carolina could bring COVID-19 vaccines to homes under a new partnership.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday said it was working with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council Area Agency on Aging to launch the new program.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the department’s secretary, said the effort is designed to “help people who may be unable to reach a doctor’s office or vaccination location due to health issues, age or other reasons,” according to a news release.
Anyone who wants to sign up can call 866-303-0026 or visit www.ptrc.org/covid, The News & Observer reported.
As coronavirus-related hospitalizations rise and the delta variant spreads in the state, officials have urged people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 7:12 AM.
