COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 21
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Over 6,600 new COVID-19 cases reported
At least 1,144,894 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 14,059 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday reported 6,631 new COVID-19 cases and 54 coronavirus-related deaths. The state doesn’t specify the dates on which the newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 3,147 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday. The number of coronavirus hospitalizations has been rising since July 9, when the state had 409 patients.
As of Wednesday, 11.9% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 64% of adults 18 and older in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 59% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
Students prepare for return to school across NC
More than one million students enrolled in public schools across North Carolina will start classes on Monday as the delta variant continues to surge.
At least 28 school districts have reversed course on face mask requirements in the past two weeks to help curb the spread, The News & Observer reported, and 81 of the state’s 115 districts are requiring face coverings indoors.
Still, many parents are worried.
“I’m going to see if there any outbreaks or clusters and just pray that my children are not the first ones infected,” said Adriana de Souza e Silva, a Cary parent of two elementary school students.
Visitors: Mask up in Blue Ridge Parkway, Great Smoky Mountains crowds
Visitors must wear a mask in crowds along the Blue Ridge Parkway and in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, whether they’re vaccinated against COVID-19 or not, according to an Aug. 16 National Parks Service mandate.
The order also applies when you’re in a building in either park — or any other national park.
National Parks Service officials issued the mandate until further notice, not only because the parks see visitors from across the world, Deputy Director Shawn Benge said in a post on NPS.gov.
Most of the country also is experiencing “substantial or high transmission” of the virus, he said.
“Being vaccinated is the most effective way to protect yourself and your loved ones from the dangers of the coronavirus,” Captain Maria Said, a National Parks Service epidemiologist, said in the post.
Adding the mask requirement is a “simple act of kindness” that “allows us to be safe while we continue to enjoy the benefits of our national parks,” she said.
Comedian Leslie Jones helps NC school librarian with COVID supplies
Brittany Gendron feared the worst.
How, she thought, could she ever raise thousands of dollars worth of supplies to protect against COVID-19 in her Union County school library with the school open house two days away?
Gendron was stunned and said she cried when her favorite comedian, Leslie Jones, answered her plea on Twitter Monday.
A half-hour later, the former “Saturday Night Live” star and current host of ABC’s “Supermarket Sweep” game show replied.
“Got you,” Jones responded on Gendron’s Twitter handle, MsG_PagebyPage. “I cleared the list. Hope it helps!”
NC college football coach died of COVID complications, fiancée says
A North Carolina college assistant football coach, described by colleagues as selfless, hard-working and always upbeat died Wednesday of complications from COVID-19, his fiancee posted on Facebook.
John Peacock joined Western Carolina University as the offensive line coach in the spring, according to the school.
The 32-year-old died at his home in Sylva, his fiancée, Erika Alexander, posted with pictures of the man she was set to marry in February.
Hopscotch Music Festival requires proof of vaccine
The Hopscotch Music Festival in downtown Raleigh will require guests to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
Organizers said they will require guests to show their vaccination card or a photocopy of it for each day they attend, The News & Observer reported. Attendees who aren’t vaccinated will need a negative test result within 72 hours of attending.
What to know about monoclonal antibodies
Monoclonal antibodies are being used to treat patients who have tested positive for COVID-19.
North Carolina health officials said Friday the number of people given the treatment has increased 18-fold, The News & Observer reported.
The antibodies are designed to prevent severe infection. But for the treatment to work, patients must receive it within 10 days of when symptoms start.
“It’s definitely not something that somebody should get positive and wait a week and see if they start feeling better,” said Dr. David Kirk, critical care specialist at WakeMed. “As soon as they’re diagnosed, they should look for therapy.”
NC school district won’t require face masks
Face coverings won’t be required in schools in Union County, where the state’s largest reported COVID-19 outbreak in a school or daycare has been reported.
There were 169 cases among children 5 to 18 years old in Union County during the week of Aug. 1-8 — up from 48 positive cases the week of July 18, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Some school district leaders have recommended the board adopt a mask mandate.
“This is not what we were hoping to see as we prepare for the opening of the 2020-21 school year,” UCPS Assistant Superintendent Jarrod McCraw said at a recent board meeting. “Unfortunately, COVID numbers are trending upward.”
Board chairperson Melissa Merrell said they have agreed to discuss the subject at the board’s next meeting Sept. 7.
NC State Fair will go on
Officials are still planning to host the North Carolina State Fair in October after canceling it last year due to COVID-19 concerns.
“We are on,” said Kent Yelverton, fair manager. “We are planning. We are burning the midnight oil.”
The fair is slated to run from Oct. 14 through Oct. 24, The News & Observer reported. Unvaccinated guests will be expected to wear masks, but officials say it’s too far off to form any official face mask policy.
“We simply can’t speculate at this point,” Yelverton said. “So many variables, so many ways this can go.”
Charlotte school leader balks at mask requirement
The head of Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools said face masks won’t be required in classrooms despite a local health mandate.
The Mecklenburg County Board of Health passed a countywide mask mandate this week. But Gregory Monroe with MACS told families in a letter Thursday that schools are not “public spaces” so they don’t have to follow the county order, The Charlotte Observer reported.
County Health Director Gibbie Harris has said the order does cover private schools.
“In terms of private schools, for example, in the document it speaks to all public, indoor spaces,” Harris said on Thursday. “That includes private entities as well as nonprofits, grocery stores, you name it. So private schools are also included in that.”
Charlotte hospitals report COVID clusters among staff
Mecklenburg County health officials reported COVID-19 clusters at Atrium Health and Novant Health on Friday.
At least 88 cases — mostly among hospital staff — at the two main hospital systems in the region were detailed in the county’s weekly coronavirus trends report, The Charlotte Observer reported.
They include at least 10 cases among nurses and a respiratory therapist at Levine Children’s Hospital, 38 cases among staff in the non-maternity unit at Atrium Pineville and 13 cases among staff in the emergency department at Novant Matthews Medical Center.
Mecklenburg revises start of face mask mandate
Mecklenburg County pushed back the start of its face mask mandate by three days “due to legal notice requirements,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
The mandate now takes effect Aug. 31.
County spokeswoman Tammy Thompson said the start date had to be revised to give residents at least 10 days’ notice, according to the Observer.
In the meantime, several towns have passed mask requirements of their own. Davidson’s mask mandate took effect Thursday after a unanimous vote by the the Davidson Board of Commissioners. A similar requirement takes effect in Matthews at 5 p.m. Friday.
This story was originally published August 21, 2021 at 8:43 AM.
