COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Aug. 25
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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.
60 COVID-related deaths added
At least 1,172,571 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 14,212 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported 6,130 new COVID-19 cases, up from 4,623 on Tuesday.
Sixty coronavirus-related deaths were added on Wednesday. The state health department doesn’t specify the dates on which the newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 3,503 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Wednesday, up from 3,342 the day before.
As of Monday, the latest date with available information, 13.5% 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 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.
Wake might require masks at recess
Officials in Wake County told parents Wednesday the district is considering new safety precautions after 140 COVID-19 cases were reported in the first two days of school.
Those measures could include requiring students to wear face masks outdoors during recess and regular testing for student athletes, The News & Observer reported.
“We appreciate this is not the start to a new school year that many envisioned or anyone wanted,” the school system posted. “However, we are confident that full compliance and stricter measures will allow students to participate in the types of school activities that would otherwise be jeopardized by the Delta variant of COVID-19.”
Charlotte students start new school year
Wednesday was the first day of school for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, marking the first full return to in-person learning since the start of the pandemic last year.
There are extra masks, hand sanitizer and social distancing rules in CMS classrooms, The Charlotte Observer reported.
”We’re still trying to social distance — three feet now. So with 25 students you have to figure that out. There’s a lot of math going on. We have hand sanitizing wipes, and there’s figuring out how to clean the classrooms. I have six different classes,” said Virginia Little, a seventh-grade social studies teacher.
There were 143,411 students enrolled in CMS as of Monday, about 425 fewer than projected. About 183 requests have been submitted since Aug. 19 to switch students to virtual learning.
COVID outbreak reported at Mecklenburg jail
At least 61 inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Mecklenburg County Jail.
More than 500 are in quarantine, The Charlotte Observer reported, and 34 workers have tested positive and are quarantining.
“We remain confident in the protocols our staff and contract medical providers have implemented to manage and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our facilities,” Sheriff Garry McFadden said in a news release. “As cases continue to increase in the community we encourage everyone to get vaccinated and will continue to educate and offer the COVID-19 vaccine to our resident population.”
NC teacher won’t wear face mask at school
An English teacher in Johnston County has been sent home for refusing to wear a face mask at school after the district required it.
Aurora Preston, who works at South Johnston High School in Four Oaks, is facing up to nine weeks of unpaid leave and could lose her job, The News & Observer reported.
“It is not the job of government agencies to dictate when and where it is appropriate to utilize the rights afforded to me by being a citizen of the U.S.,” Preston said in a statement Wednesday. “It is their job to uphold the Constitution affording these rights to all of the citizens all of the time.”
The school district declined to comment on confidential personnel matters.
Wake hospitals filling up with COVID-19 patients
Doctors at Wake County hospitals say the COVID-19 situation has grown critical as beds fill up with patients and are asking for the community’s help.
During a news conference Wednesday, top doctors at WakeMed, Duke Raleigh Hospital, UNC Rex Healthcare and Wake County Emergency Medical Services said patients are backed up in the emergency departments and lobbies are full.
“Our wait times are higher than they’ve ever been at Duke Raleigh. I’m sure other hospitals can agree to that as well,” said Dr. Timothy Plonk, the medical director at Duke Raleigh Hospital. “And it’s creating a great deal of stress and frustration. I think a lot of people are waiting in our lobby and other lobbies in our country longer than they ever thought they would have to wait for health care in this country.”
Doctors asked people go to their primary care physicians or urgent care centers instead and leave room at the emergency departments for critically sick patients, The News & Observer reported.
Charlotte residents want relief funds to go toward housing
Many Charlotte residents say the city should consider affordable housing and rental assistance when spending COVID-19 relief money.
Dozens of people told The Charlotte Observer what they think should happen with almost $60 million in funds from the American Rescue Plan, and many of them wanted housing to be a priority.
“Residents say organizations that serve low-income families most deserve this COVID relief funding, along with community resources for people experiencing mental health concerns or domestic abuse,” the Observer reported Wednesday.
Triangle schools report COVID cluster
At least 13 schools in the Triangle have active COVID-19 clusters as the school year begins.
A report from the Department of Health and Human Services show 10 schools in Wake County, two in Durham County and one in Johnson County have active clusters, The News & Observer reported.
Those numbers are expected to continue to climb as large numbers of students return to in-person learning for the first time since before the pandemic started.
Which counties have highest, lowest vaccination rates
COVID-19 vaccination rates across North Carolina vary significantly — from 34% to 80% depending on the county.
Orange, Dare and Wake counties are among those with the highest percentage of people who have been vaccinated, The News & Observer reported. At least 80% of people are partially vaccinated in Orange County and 77% are fully vaccinated.
In Dare, about 67% are partially vaccinated and 63% fully vaccinated. Wake has 64% partially vaccinated and 60% fully vaccinated.
Robeson, Rutherford and Gates counties have the lowest vaccination rates, according to the N&O. About 29% of residents in Robeson County have been fully vaccinated and 34% have been partially vaccinated.
District could require teachers to get COVID shots
A Triangle-area school district could be the first in North Carolina to require teachers to be vaccinated.
The Orange County school board on Monday “backed a plan to start a 30-day vaccination clock” after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, The News & Observer reported.
Teachers and staff members who haven’t said whether they have gotten their shots must do so by Sept. 10.
The district will also start testing some employees this week and add testing options for unvaccinated workers and students in mid-September.
About 1% of residents test positive in Charlotte ZIP code
A ZIP code with the highest coronavirus case rate in the Charlotte area has about 1% of residents testing positive for the virus, data show.
The ZIP code 28204, which covers the Cherry and Elizabeth neighborhoods, hadn’t reached that level in more than six months, The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday.
Over the past 14 days, 1 in 100 people in the area tested positive for the virus, health officials said.
Charlotte, Durham workers could get $250 vaccine incentives
The cities of Charlotte and Durham could give $250 to their workers if they are vaccinated against COVID-19.
Brent Cagle, assistant city manager, on Monday said Charlotte is considering offering the money to workers who are vaccinated by Sept. 30. If more than 75% of employees have gotten a vaccine, everyone who received a shot could get an additional $250.
Some city council members questioned the timing of the incentives and whether they would make a difference. Braxton Winston said the city should require vaccines sooner, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“A significant portion of our workforce has office space that extends into the living room of our constituents …” Winston said. “We should not be perpetuating a pandemic that we have a duty to put down. This is a matter of public safety.”
Charlotte has nearly 8,000 workers. Among the 7,000 who filled out a survey, about 66% said they were vaccinated, though the rate is estimated to be about 60%.
In Durham, workers who show proof that they have been fully vaccinated can get a $250 bonus and two paid vacation days. Any of the roughly 2,400 employees who don’t prove that they have gotten a shot by Oct. 10 will be tested for the virus on a routine basis, The News & Observer reported Tuesday.
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 6:59 AM.
