COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 4
Click here for updates for Aug. 5.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 3,400 new cases reported
At least 1,062,300 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 13,700 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported 3,413 new COVID-19 cases, up from 2,188 on Tuesday.
Twenty-one additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported on 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 1,580 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, up from 1,465 the day before. Wednesday’s patient count had been the highest since February 22, The News & Observer reported.
As of Monday, the latest date with available information, 12.2% 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 58% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
Protesters rally against vaccine, mask rules
About 200 people gathered in downtown Raleigh on Wednesday to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates at workplaces, many of them health care workers.
Some of the demonstrators were also opposed to mask-wearing in schools. During the event, the crowd met at the state legislature and marched around the Governor’s Mansion, The News & Observer reported.
“We spend so much time advocating for our patients, and now that I’m the patient, I can’t advocate for myself,” said nurse Hannah Lewis.
Though Lewis declined to share where she works, both Duke Health and UNC Healthcare are requiring staff to be vaccinated, with some exemptions.
“I appreciate their ... First Amendment right to protest, but I think that these health care facilities have made the right call in requiring employees to get vaccinated,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday. “And I hope that they will work to get the information and to be convinced that this is the right thing to do not only for themselves and their families but to the patients that they’re supposed to treat and protect.”
Incoming college student is latest vaccine lottery winner
An 18-year-old with plans to go to college won $1 million in the latest North Carolina vaccine lottery drawing.
“When COVID first became big, it took away my senior year, and I saw how much it affected everyone around me,” said Audrey Chavous of Winston-Salem. “Not only did I want to get vaccinated for my own peace of mind, but for everyone around me who could have been affected by COVID.”
Lottery prizes were eligible for adults who received the COVID-19 vaccine through Aug. 1. Teens under age 18 could be entered to win $125,000 for scholarships, The News & Observer reported.
The state said it’s still hoping to get in touch with the latest scholarship prize winner.
2 Triangle school districts vote to require masks
Two Triangle school boards on Tuesday made decisions about face masks as COVID-19 continues to spread.
The board in Wake County, the state’s largest district, unanimously backed a recommendation that called for universal mask-wearing until at least the start of the fall semester. Students and staff will have to continue putting on face coverings in schools, no matter their vaccine status, The News & Observer reported.
Ahead of the vote, petitions in favor of and against the mandate had drawn thousands of signatures, and about 200 people rallied outside the building.
Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools took the rules a step further with its approval, requiring face masks both indoors and outdoors. The board also approved weekly COVID-19 testing for staff who haven’t been vaccinated against the disease.
Both districts are allowing people to seek exemptions from their mask mandates.
The votes from the districts came after Gov. Roy Cooper lifted a school mask mandate and let school leaders make decisions about face coverings. Only children ages 12 and up are currently eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines.
This list shows other North Carolina districts’ decisions about masks.
NC Senators want parental consent for vaccines
Senators in North Carolina unanimously backed a bill that would require children to have parents’ consent to receive the COVID-19 shot and other emergency-use vaccines.
“Parents know their children the best,” said Sen. Joyce Krawiec, a Republican, said in a news release. “They, not the government, should have the ultimate say when it comes to their child’s health.”
The bill would also let pharmacists administer vaccines that have gotten FDA approval and perform other duties. Sen. Jim Burgin, a Republican, said the proposal is important because some parts of the state have a shortage of primary care doctors.
House Bill 96 now heads to state representatives, where it could get a concurrence vote. Then, it would be up to Gov. Roy Cooper to decide if it becomes law.
NC paying $100 at some vaccine sites
North Carolina is offering $100 to people who get their shots at some COVID-19 vaccine sites in the state, officials said.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services released an online map that shows locations participating in the incentive, which it said “offset the time and transportation costs of getting vaccinated.”
The state health department’s list includes 12 clinics near Charlotte and 16 clinics in Durham and Wake counties. Adults who receive their first vaccine doses at one of the designated locations is eligible for $100.
People who drive someone else to get an initial vaccine dose are also eligible to receive $25, The News & Observer reported Tuesday. The payment comes in the form of a prepaid MasterCard called a Summer Card.
Also in an effort to motivate people to get a vaccine, the state is running a lottery. The last drawing is set for Wednesday.
Most NC Senate hopefuls not yet sharing stances on vaccine requirements
Many of the people vying to represent North Carolina in the U.S. Senate haven’t publicly said whether companies should require COVID-19 vaccines.
Democrat Erica Smith said mandates from employers “feels like an important next step in ending this pandemic and strengthening our economic recovery.”
No Senate hopefuls besides Smith recommended requiring vaccines for work, but others in the race said it should be up to businesses to decide, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Millions in rental relief money unspent as eviction ban ends
Millions of dollars in rental relief funds haven’t been spent in North Carolina as thousands of residents could be evicted in the next few months, data show.
Congress in December approved $25 billion in coronavirus-related rental aid. But most of the allocations for Wake and other counties haven’t been spent, The News & Observer reported Tuesday.
Laura Hogshead of North Carolina’s Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Eviction and N.C. Office of Recovery and Resiliency told the N&O payouts are 20 days on average. She said some people may not know about the program or may be new to asking for help.
“We have a full-court press going on with outreach to make sure that we are getting the word to everyone who is eligible,” she said. “These are probably folks that have never reached out for assistance before. They’ve never found themselves in this position.”
The program started in October with federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES) funds, but money went dry in a month. Samuel Gunter, executive director of the N.C. Housing Coalition, said that while the program has made recent changes, some may not trust that it will help.
2 large Charlotte companies require workers to wear masks
Lowe’s and Duke Energy, two major employers in the Charlotte area, are requiring face masks for all workers as COVID-19 continues to spread.
The rules are in effect when employees are indoors, no matter their vaccination status.
Lowe’s, which has a headquarters in Mooresville, plans to bring workers back to the office in October. As of Monday, employees are required to wear masks on site or while visiting customers, The Charlotte Observer reported.
At Duke Energy, about 90% of the workforce is doing their jobs remotely. The company is requiring workers to wear masks inside and has been transitioning workers to its uptown Charlotte office.
Mecklenburg to require testing for unvaccinated employees
Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, starting next month is requiring COVID-19 tests each week for government workers who aren’t vaccinated, officials said.
Also, employees who have gotten their shots will have to show proof of their vaccine statuses beginning Sept. 1, according to County Manager Dena Diorio. Under the new plan, employees who are vaccinated won’t need to wear masks in county facilities.
“Vaccinations are not required for general county employees,” The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday.
The announcement comes after Mecklenburg County Public Health had announced workers would face “disciplinary action” if they didn’t receive the vaccine before Sept. 7. The mandate had exemptions for religious and medical reasons.
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 7:05 AM.
