COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on July 30
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 1,100 hospitalizations reported
At least 1,048,076 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 13,635 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 3,199 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, down from 3,268 on Thursday.
Seventeen 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 1,168 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, up from 1,141 the day before.
As of Wednesday, the latest day available, 9.5% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 61% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 57% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
More colleges clear student debt during COVID
Two North Carolina colleges said they are clearing student debt, becoming the latest to do so during the coronavirus pandemic.
Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte and North Carolina Central University in Durham are using money from the federal government’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to help cover student balances, The Charlotte Observer and The News & Observer reported Friday.
The schools, both historically Black universities, join other North Carolina schools that have worked to relieve debt, including East Carolina University, Fayetteville State University, Livingstone College, Pfeiffer University and St. Augustine’s University. UNC-Chapel Hill said it plans to distribute money through financial aid grants.
Vaccine acceptance slow in county with highest case rate
Some residents are hesitant to get COVID-19 vaccines in the North Carolina county that has the highest coronavirus case rate.
Columbus County, in the southeastern part of the state, has among the lowest vaccination rates in North Carolina. Some residents are skeptical of getting the vaccine, The News & Observer reported.
“Most of all, I hear they don’t trust it,” said Vickie Pait, a Whiteville city council member and director of the town’s domestic violence shelter. “People who come into our office and are not vaccinated are proud of it.”
To help administer doses, officials in the county are educating about the vaccines, and Guiton’s Drug Store started offering an on-site clinic.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to require face masks
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is requiring students and staff to wear face masks indoors this fall.
The board voted 8-1 to mandate face coverings, becoming one of the few local districts to do so, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Superintendent Earnest Winston sent a memo Thursday recommending the district continue requiring masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The three-page memo was sent ahead of the school board meeting Friday.
Winston said CMS should implement “universal face covering requirements for all students, staff, volunteers and visitors inside CMS facilities for the 2021-2022 school year.”
Masks to be required inside Wake County government buildings
Wake County, home to Raleigh, is requiring everyone who goes inside its buildings wear a mask.
The mandate goes into effect Monday and doesn’t impact schools, The News & Observer reported.
Since June, cases in the county have gone up by 279%, said Matt Calabria, board of commissioners chair. As the vaccine rollout continues, officials said the delta coronavirus variant is making progress complicated.
“We know that the surge is a large percentage delta,” said Dr. Nicole Mushonga, assistant physician director and epidemiology program director for Wake. “We are seeing that a majority of cases, more recent cases, are of the delta variant. ... That is a variant that spreads more quickly, is more transmissible and gets into our community more quickly. Those who are unvaccinated are susceptible.”
NC Zoo to give COVID vaccines to animals
The North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro is expecting to give an experimental COVID-19 vaccine to some of its animals, including the great apes.
“At least 75% of infectious diseases come from animal origin, so we can see this important connection between animal health and human health,” said Jb Minter, chief veterinarian and director of animal health.
Chimpanzees and gorillas will start to receive the vaccines after the wildlife park heard about the first known great apes to test positive in San Diego in January. After that, the zoo reached out to drug producer Zoetis to see if it could get its hands on vaccine doses, McClatchy News reported Thursday.
No new mask mandate for NC
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday he will not reinstate a statewide mask requirement nor require county mask mandates.
Some state employees in Cabinet agencies, however, will have to show proof of vaccination or wear a mask and subject to regular COVID-19 tests, The News & Observer reported.
“As you will see, after months of low numbers, our trends have turned sharply in the wrong direction,” Cooper said. “I want to be clear about why: Unvaccinated people are driving this resurgence and getting themselves and other people sick.”
Cooper said local governments can issue their own restrictions. He also recommended businesses ask employees to show proof of vaccination.
No such local restrictions are in place for Charlotte, which is considered an area of high COVID-19 spread, per the CDC, while some local businesses have re-instituted mask requirements, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Rise in hospitalizations expected to continue in NC
Coronavirus-related hospitalizations have jumped in North Carolina, and an infectious disease expert expects that trend to continue.
Even as some employers mandate COVID-19 vaccines and federal health officials revise face mask guidelines, it could take time for hospitalizations to come down, said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, associate professor at the Duke University School of Medicine. That’s because it can take up to two weeks before a person who contracts the virus is hospitalized, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
“It is baked into the system that that number is going to go up for at least a couple of weeks,” Wolfe said. “All of those people who have been exposed yesterday, for example, are not likely to get sick for quite a few days, and not likely to get sick enough to need the hospital for further time.”
More than 1,091 coronavirus-related hospitalizations were reported in the state as of Thursday, the highest total since May. State officials have said over 90% of those people are unvaccinated.
Dozens of cases linked to NC summer camp
At least 75 coronavirus cases have been linked to a summer camp in North Carolina, officials say.
The cases across 17 states reportedly were tied to people who worked at or attended The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center, near the mountain town of Brevard.
Transylvania Public Health said anyone who went to the camp is urged to get tested if they experience COVID-19 symptoms, such as fever or cough.
The faith-based camp didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday.
This story was originally published July 30, 2021 at 7:03 AM.
