COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 6
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 4,500 new cases reported
At least 1,071,137 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 13,736 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday reported 4,506 new COVID-19 cases, up from 4,331 the day before. Thursday’s case count had been the highest in a single day since mid-February, The News & Observer reported.
Twelve additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported on 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 1,715 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, up from 1,651 on Thursday. Patient counts have been rising each day since July 9.
As of Wednesday, the latest date with available information, 10.6% 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.
Michael Bublé postpones NC concerts
As COVID-19 continues to spread, Michael Bublé moved the dates of two concerts in Charlotte and Raleigh.
“I do not want to put my fans at risk, nor my band and crew, by putting them in a situation that could possibly affect their health and therefore their friends and family,” the singer said in a statement. “It is better for me to reschedule these shows to a time when all of us are confident that we can relax and enjoy the show.”
Bublé had been scheduled to perform twice this month in North Carolina. He is now set to take the stage on Oct. 24 in Charlotte and Oct. 26 in Raleigh, according to the Spectrum Center.
Cawthorn criticizes school district’s mask mandate
U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn on Thursday slammed a Western North Carolina school district’s mask mandate.
“Forcing our children to wear a mask is nothing short of psychological child abuse, period,” the Republican told officials at Buncombe County Schools. “Their social skills are stunted.”
He spoke at a school board meeting after the district approved requiring students and workers who hadn’t been vaccinated to mask up when children go back to classes on Aug. 23.
Buncombe County, home to Asheville, is labeled as an area with “high” COVID-19 transmission. People in those places are urged to wear face coverings indoors, even if they have gotten vaccinated.
State Board of Education approves new guidelines regarding masks
The N.C. State Board of Education on Thursday approved adopting new guidelines that recommend mask-wearing in schools.
The new Strong Schools Public Health Toolkit from the state health department no longer requires that the face coverings be worn. The board voted 9-2 to make the change, which some members said is risky for students as COVID-19 continues to spread through the state, The News & Observer reported.
“I can’t in good conscience approve of this Toolkit in that it recommends and does not require mask wearing in the schools, and so the very thought of even one kid becoming sick is just too much for me to bear,” board member James Ford said.
The toolkit also says children who wear masks don’t need to quarantine if one of them contracts the virus.
“This is a really important change and a big deal for schools that want to keep kids in in-person learning and not having them have to quarantine due to exposure,” Susan Gale Perry, chief deputy secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, told the board. “The critical component here is mask wearing for students.”
UNC System schools told to tell workers to vaccinate, submit tests
UNC System President Peter Hans on Thursday said schools should tell their workers to get vaccinated or be subject to weekly COVID-19 testing.
“I think it’s reasonable, both for public health and for leadership by example, to ask our faculty and staff to comply with the same protective measures we are asking of our students,” Hans said on the university system’s website.
The message came after the UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty Executive Committee approved a resolution to require employees to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or get tested on a regular basis.
Percentage of breakthrough infections in NC is small
The percentage of COVID-19 cases among vaccinated people in North Carolina is small, officials said.
From January to July 22, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services said there were 7,297 potential breakthrough cases. That’s a fraction of the more than 4.9 million North Carolinians who had been vaccinated as of that same week in July, data show.
“The increase in breakthrough cases is due to the current surge in cases and also includes potential breakthrough cases from earlier weeks that were not identified in previous linkages,” said Bailey Pennington, a state health department spokesperson.
About 94% of deaths and 92% of coronavirus cases reported since May 6 have been among people who weren’t fully vaccinated, The News & Observer reported.
‘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.
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.
This story was originally published August 6, 2021 at 7:05 AM.
