COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 5
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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 1,600 hospitalized
At least 1,066,631 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 13,724 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported 4,331 new COVID-19 cases, up from 3,413 the day before. Thursday’s case count was the highest in a single day since mid-February, The News & Observer reported.
Twenty-four additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Thursday. 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 1,651 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday, up from 1,580 on Wednesday. Patient counts have been rising each day since July 9.
As of Tuesday, the latest date with available information, 10.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 62% 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.
‘Dramatic uptick’ in COVID cases among kids reported in Charlotte area
The Charlotte area is seeing a “dramatic uptick” in COVID-19 infections among kids, with three weeks until the school year starts, according to one local doctor.
Dr. Catherine Ohmstede, a Novant Health pediatrician, on Thursday said the increase looks similar to one seen in January, when Mecklenburg County reported its highest day-to-day coronavirus case jumps.
“Our clinics across the community have been incredibly busy diagnosing COVID in children,” Ohmstede said, according to The Charlotte Observer.
The cases come as the contagious delta variant continues to spread and officials urge people to get COVID-19 vaccines. Children younger than 12 aren’t yet eligible to receive the shots.
Charlotte to start checking for vaccine status of city workers
Starting next week, Charlotte will begin to verify whether city workers have been vaccinated against COVID-19, officials said.
Employees will be required to fill out a “vaccine verification form” no longer than 10 days after it comes out, The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
“The city believes that the best way to protect our employees and the community we serve is through vaccination which is why the city is requiring employees to share information about their vaccination status,” officials said in a human resources memo.
Some local governments bolstering mask rules
Some Triangle-area governments have strengthened rules on mask-wearing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As of Thursday afternoon, cities and towns requiring people to wear masks inside their public spaces include Knightdale, Morrisville, Raleigh, Rolesville and Wake Forest, The News & Observer reported.
Raleigh officials are also considering testing employees who haven’t received their shots, said spokesperson Julia Milstead.
The town of Apex is expected to review mask requirements during a meeting on Thursday.
Wells Fargo changes back-to-office plans due to COVID
Charlotte-area medical practices join hospitals in requiring vaccines
Seven independent medical practices in the Charlotte area are requiring their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as the delta variant sparks concerns.
Those workplaces include: “Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center, Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates, Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat Associates, Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology, OrthoCarolina, Surgical Specialists of Charlotte and Tryon Medical Partners,” The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
Workers at the practices must receive their shots by Oct. 31, and vaccine exemption guidelines will be followed, the practices said.
Last month, health care systems Atrium Health and Novant Health said they would mandate COVID-19 vaccines for employees. Hundreds of workers gathered over the weekend to protest Atrium’s rule, according to WBTV, the Observer’s media partner.
Hundreds of cases reported among partially vaccinated in Charlotte area
Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, said hundreds of residents who contracted COVID-19 hadn’t finished getting vaccinated against the disease.
Gibbie Harris, the county’s public health director, on Wednesday reported at least 624 cases among people who were partially vaccinated.
Those are different from breakthrough cases, in which a person who has completed the vaccine series gets COVID-19, usually with no or mild symptoms. Mecklenburg has seen at least 376 “true breakthrough cases” among the 579,488 residents who are fully vaccinated, The Charlotte Observer reported.
As of Wednesday, community transmission of COVID-19 was “high” or “substantial” in Mecklenburg and surrounding counties. Health officials have urged people in those areas to wear face masks inside public spaces to help slow the spread of the virus.
“We can’t rest until this pandemic is behind us, and the only way that happens is if we get enough people vaccinated that we push this virus off the cliff,” Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday during a news conference.
EMS agency to require vaccines as COVID calls rise
Medic, an EMS agency in the Charlotte area, is requiring its workers to get COVID-19 vaccines.
The agency on Wednesday also said it had seen a jump in coronavirus-related calls in the past two weeks.
About 76% of Medic workers have gotten their vaccines, and the deadline to do so is Oct. 22. Employees are required to submit exemption forms by Sept. 30, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Workers who aren’t vaccinated and don’t list exemptions may face consequences.
“It could mean attempting to address employee concerns or individual needs, factoring it into performance review evaluations, taking them off the schedule temporarily or potential disciplinary measures,” spokesperson Grace Nelson said.
UNC-Chapel Hill faculty want to require proof of vaccines
A resolution approved by faculty members at UNC-Chapel Hill aims to get more people on campus vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Wednesday, the UNC Faculty Executive Committee passed the resolution, which asks for a requirement that campus employees show they have been vaccinated against the disease or be tested regularly. Students already have to do the same.
The request, which also calls for the campus to bolster mask rules when needed, now goes to the UNC System Board of Governors and UNC System President Peter Hans, The News & Observer reported Wednesday.
“We want a return to safe in-person operations on our campus this fall semester,” the resolution said. “We are also committed to doing our part to protect the community from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We are concerned that the recent surge in COVID-19 cases, primarily among unvaccinated people, poses a threat to our health care system, our town, and ultimately our campus and academic programs.”
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,” 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.
This story was originally published August 5, 2021 at 7:04 AM.
