COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 12
Click here for updates for Aug. 13.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
16 coronavirus-related deaths reported
At least 1,100,786 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 13,806 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday reported 5,900 new COVID-19 cases, up from 4,963 on Wednesday.
Sixteen coronavirus-related deaths were added 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 2,409 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Thursday, up from 2,304 the day before. The patient count has been rising since July 9, when the state had 409 patients, The News & Observer reported.
As of Tuesday, the latest date available, 11.3% 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.
Atrium hospital reports delta COVID outbreak
At least 50 healthcare workers at Atrium Health Pineville have tested positive for COVID-19, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told The Charlotte Observer.
At least 70% of those workers were already vaccinated, a spokesperson said, and nine patients also have tested positive for the virus.
Alicia Campbell, facility executive of Atrium Health Pineville, told employees the delta variant is to blame.
“We are currently engaged in contact tracing and testing of any impacted teammates and patients in order to identify those needing care and to control the potential for further spread,” the message said.
Raleigh mayor favors indoor face mask mandate
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said Thursday she would support an indoor mask mandate and will meet with other Wake County mayors on Friday to “build consensus.”
“Wake County health experts are making this recommendation based on recent data,” she said. “We have to take steps to ensure public safety, protect our small businesses and do everything we can to prevent another lockdown.”
Several of the 11 other mayors previously said they would not support a new mask mandate.
Zebulon Mayor Bob Matheny told The News & Observer on Thursday he is “open for discussion but no decision yet.”
Test site sending more patients to hospitals
One Charlotte-area COVID-19 testing provider is increasingly seeing emergency situations.
Hospital referrals are becoming “a lot more common” as the coronavirus continues to spread, said Dr. Arin Piramzadian, chief medical officer for StarMed. For example, the provider used to have emergencies every few days but sent four patients seeking COVID-19 tests to emergency rooms due to serious symptoms.
Piramzadian on Wednesday said demand for testing is on the rise just as the start of the school year approaches.
“It’s going to get very bad ...” Piramzadian told The Charlotte Observer. “The reality is once the CDC (in May) removed masking guidelines and with the delta variant being so contagious, it pretty much just ripped through the population.”
NC State students’ return could impact football team’s bubble
The football team at North Carolina State University has been in a “bubble,” but players will have to leave it when in-person classes start next week, The News & Observer reported.
Last year, coronavirus concerns forced the Wolfpack to reschedule their first game and Devin Leary, the starting quarterback, to miss the season opener. Head coach Dave Doeren said he doesn’t want that to happen again.
“I’m very hopeful that we learned our lesson from watching that horrible movie last year,” Doeren said. “I told them I don’t want to watch it again.”
This fall, the UNC System is requiring face masks indoors but not outdoors. There are concerns that having more students back on campus will bring risks, including for players who have been vaccinated.
“Last year, we were very good here from a COVID numbers standpoint until the student body showed up,” Doeren said. “Not to blame them, that’s just what happens when you put 30,000 young people on a college campus, you’re gonna have a lot of germs brought in and people are gonna get sick.”
Social media influencers helping to promote vaccination in NC
North Carolina leaders are partnering with social media stars to urge people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
The efforts often aim to reach younger people, a group recently seeing a higher infection rate as the delta variant spreads through the state, The News & Observer reported.
In the past few months, people with large social media followings have been featured on a live stream video with Dr. Mandy Cohen, secretary of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
And Guilford County has partnered with dozens of people, including a lifestyle blogger who shared a photo of her vaccine card. Wake County plans to start a similar program.
“These personal conversations are really what’s going to get us over the finish line with COVID,” said Dawn Crawford of Wake County Public Health. “The more voices out there in our community we have sharing correct information, facts and personal experiences, the better.”
NC towns, county paying bonuses to workers who get COVID shots
One Triangle-area county and two nearby towns are offering bonuses to workers with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
The town of Hillsborough this week joined Carrboro in offering a bonus program to its public employees. A similar program is being planned in Chapel Hill, officials said.
All of the towns are requiring that their employees show proof of vaccine status by Sept. 1. Otherwise, they will have to be tested weekly, The News & Observer reported Wednesday.
Hillsborough, which has 97 workers, is offering $300 bonuses as part of its program.
Also giving bonuses is Wake County, home to Raleigh. Public workers who have gotten vaccinated or get their final shots before Sept. 15 get two days of paid vacation and a $250 bonus, officials said.
Starting the week of Sept. 20, unvaccinated workers will have to get tested until the area’s percentage of positive COVID-19 tests and transmission rates get lower.
Hospitalizations in Charlotte similar to a ‘busy winter’
The number of coronavirus-related hospitalizations in the Charlotte area is high for the summertime, one doctor said.
Dr. Sid Fletcher of Novant Health said the patient count is more similar to what he could see during a “busy winter.”
As of Aug. 4, the number of Mecklenburg County hospitalizations was over four times higher compared to early July. And data show “Mecklenburg’s seven major Novant and Atrium hospitals are all above 70% capacity for adult in-patient beds as of last week,” The Charlotte Observer reported Thursday.
Many rural schools not requiring masks
North Carolina’s school districts are largely split on whether students and staff are required to wear face masks as the school year starts.
Most of the state’s urban areas have instituted mask mandates, while another 56 districts representing a third of the state’s students are not requiring masks, The News & Observer reported. Those districts tend to be in smaller and/or rural counties, many of which have low COVID-19 vaccination rates.
Onslow County school board chairman Bob Williams said the board didn’t want to institute “mandates that would affect your children in a negative manner.”
“We did a survey,” Williams said. “The survey was between 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 to let parents make the decision or let staff make the decision. We are still a democracy.”
UNC reports first COVID cluster
A cluster of six COVID-19 cases has been reported at UNC-Chapel Hill.
The cases are related to an event in the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, The News & Observer reported. The cluster came one day before thousands of students will start moving in Thursday.
Campus leaders, faculty, staff and students also discussed concerns about the lack of a COVID-19 vaccine mandate on Wednesday, which UNC-CH Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz and Provost Bob Blouin said they would support.
Guskiewicz said they know there will be cases on campus but are hopeful they can continue to operate in-person given UNC-CH’s vaccination rates and mandatory weekly testing for those who are not vaccinated.
“I’m going to continue to advocate where I can, when I can — based on the guidance and advice our public health and infectious disease experts have given us — why in fact a mandate and the vaccine itself, most importantly, works,” Guskiewicz said.
Should you get the flu shot if you also got the COVID vaccine?
As the first flu season since the COVID-19 vaccine came out approaches, some are concerned about whether they really need both shots — or if getting them at the same time is safe.
Dr. Anita Skariah, UNC Health internist and pediatrician, told The News & Observer that experts recommend getting the flu shot in September and October, just as flu season begins to ramp up. She said people should get both the flu shot and the COVID-19 vaccine.
“It’s important to obtain the flu vaccine even if you have received the COVID vaccine,” Skariah said. “Neither will protect from the other — the flu vaccine will not protect you against Sars Co-V and the COVID vaccines will not protect you against influenza.”
Triangle restaurants require vaccine cards
Several local bars and restaurants in the Triangle, including many in downtown Durham, will require guests wanting to come inside to show proof of vaccination.
The list includes Durham beer bar Hunky Dory, cocktail bar Kingfisher, French restaurant Rue Cler, Pizzeria Mercato in Carrboro, Players Retreat in Raleigh, Yonder Bar in Hillsborough and the Durham music venue Motorco.
Eryk Pruitt, owner of Yonder Bar in Hillsborough, told The News & Observer he implemented the change because he doesn’t want to give up the increase in sales they saw as case counts dropped and vaccinations increased this summer.
“I felt like we need to do what we could to get a stronger push out there (for vaccines),” Pruitt said. “I had enough conversations with people who refused to get the vaccine for whatever reason, it didn’t seem like there were enough incentives out there for them.”
Demand rises for COVID tests as delta variant spreads
The demand for COVID-19 tests is up as the delta variant continues to spread across North Carolina.
For example, Mecklenburg County saw 2,700 daily COVID-19 tests on average at the beginning of August. It’s a 130% increase compared to early July but still lower than the amount of tests administered during the holiday season, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Anyone who wants a test can search for locations at covid19.ncdhhs.gov. People can also reach out to their doctors, pharmacies or local health departments to ask about testing.
Tests are free and don’t require insurance. Click here for a list of options in the Triangle, and click here for a list of options near Charlotte.
Charlotte-area county seeing rise in cases among children
School-aged children make up almost one-fourth of recent COVID-19 infections in one Charlotte-area county.
Gaston County on Tuesday said 110 of the 451 cases it added over the weekend were among kids. Those children will be isolated for 10 days or more, and people who were in contact with them may have to go into a two-week quarantine, officials said.
This fall, Gaston County schools has made masks optional while Charlotte-Mecklenburg is among the nearby districts requiring face coverings, The Charlotte Observer reported.
With the start of the school year on the horizon, North Carolina is seeing more younger COVID-19 patients in hospitals.
The state also reports a rise in cases among children and college-aged adults, mostly due to the delta variant.
“In the past six weeks, 18- to 24-year-olds have been infected at rates higher than any other age group, and children 17 or younger are seeing a surge in cases not seen since the virus’ winter peak,” The News & Observer reported Tuesday.
Many schools are planning for in-person classes this fall, and experts warn younger people who don’t get vaccinated or aren’t yet eligible to get their shots could spread the virus. Currently, vaccines are only available for children 12 and older.
This story was originally published August 12, 2021 at 7:08 AM.
