COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Sept. 3
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
3,800 COVID patients hospitalized
At least 1,237,393 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 14,708 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday reported 8,590 new COVID-19 cases, up from 7,901 on Thursday.
Eighty-three new coronavirus-related deaths were added on Thursday. The state health department doesn’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 3,800 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Friday, including 930 adult patients being treated in intensive care units, health officials said.
As of Wednesday, the latest date with available information, 11.7% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 66% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 61% have been fully vaccinated. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
August saw sharp increase in Charlotte-area COVID deaths
The number of coronavirus-related deaths in August was about four times higher than the July death toll in the Charlotte area.
Almost 70 Mecklenburg County residents died of virus-related causes last month.
The county added 26 deaths in the past week and reported 22 deaths the week before, data show.
Early Friday, Mecklenburg’s coronavirus-related death toll stood at 1,072. Most of the patients who died were 60 or older and had underlying health problems, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Schools getting money for cafeteria worker bonuses
North Carolina education leaders approved setting aside coronavirus relief money to give bonuses to school cafeteria workers.
“Staffing shortages in the school nutrition programs in the PSUs (public school units) are a serious problem,” said Lynn Harvey, director of school nutrition and school operations at the N.C. Department of Public Instruction. “Some PSUs are reporting shortages of 20 to 25%.”
The State Board of Education decision means $10 million in federal funding will go to new and existing school nutrition employees. Some workers have left for private-sector positions, The News & Observer reported.
“The work of North Carolina’s school nutrition teams over the past year has been nothing short of remarkable,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a news release. “Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, school nutrition personnel went above and beyond to provide meals to students, whether that was through extended hours or home deliveries.”
COVID leads 6 schools near Charlotte to move to remote learning
Six schools near Charlotte temporarily are transitioning to at-home learning due to COVID-19 infections.
Students at Central Elementary School, East Iredell Middle School, Lakeshore Middle School, North Iredell High School and West Iredell Middle School are set to return to classrooms on Sept. 13, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“Our number one priority is to continue with face-to-face learning,” Boen Nutting, a spokesperson for Iredell-Statesville Schools, said in a news release. “Sending students home will hopefully mitigate the spread of COVID and allow us to come back healthy.”
The decision to switch schools to remote instruction was made Thursday, the same day the district began requiring face masks.
While the district didn’t share updated numbers in its announcement, Iredell-Statesville previously said 583 students were in quarantine from Aug. 20 to 26. That represented about 2.85% of all students, the Observer reported.
Also making a switch was Christ the King Catholic High School in Huntersville, which transitioned to remote learning on Wednesday. Students are scheduled to go back into classrooms on Sept. 8.
The school, which has about 340 students, reported 26 cases across different grade levels.
“We believe it is prudent to proactively shift to remote learning to limit any potential virus spread at the school,” Principal Carl Semmler told parents in a letter. “We will continue to monitor active cases, quarantines and contact tracing to ensure we have the broadest possible understanding of the situation.”
Long lines expected for Labor Day weekend as air traffic rebounds
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is expecting crowds this Labor Day weekend as coronavirus cases surge.
As health officials urge unvaccinated people to skip traveling for the holiday, the Charlotte airport estimates it will see more than 200,000 passengers come through.
Most people traveling from Charlotte are leaving Friday, when an estimated 27,800 local passengers will fly out. That’s lower than before the pandemic, when 28,000 to 31,000 travelers departed, data show.
But traffic has started to rebound since early last year, when COVID-19 hit the travel industry hard.
“In July — the most recent month of passenger data available — passengers boarding planes at the Charlotte airport surpassed 2019 levels for the first time since the pandemic hit NC early last year,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
Evictions high in some vulnerable neighborhoods in Charlotte area
During six months of the coronavirus pandemic, Mecklenburg County evictions happened most frequently in vulnerable neighborhoods.
Though a federal moratorium prevented some from losing their homes, a Charlotte Journalism Collaborative investigation “found evictions during the pandemic occurred most often in ZIP codes with higher rates of poverty, higher Black populations and less housing investment than the county, overall.”
ZIP codes 28262, 28212 and 28216 saw evictions about “three times as often as the county average,” according to a review of 700 eviction records between October 2020 and March 2021, The Charlotte Observer reported Friday.
Federal unemployment benefits to end
Federal coronavirus-related jobless benefits are set to run out this week.
Some who are on unemployment in North Carolina could see $300 cuts or lose their benefits all together.
The benefits expire Saturday, a change that’s expected to impact more than 10,000 people in the state. Affected programs include: Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation and Mixed Earners Unemployment Compensation, The Charlotte Observer reported.
COVID patients cost dying wife a hospital bed, TikTok video says
A man from North Carolina whose wife died of Stage IV breast cancer filmed a TikTok video blasting people who aren’t vaccinated against the coronavirus for filling up needed hospital beds.
Jason Arena said his wife, Marilyn Arena, had to be discharged early for COVID-19 patients. She has since died.
“If you really (expletive) believe that COVID is not real, and you really believe that’s not a big deal, and you really believe you don’t need to get the vaccine, that is your (expletive) right, OK? I’m not going to argue with you about that. What I am going to argue with you about is you running to the hospital once you get the virus,” he said in the video. “If you don’t trust the medical field to prevent you from getting it, why do you trust them to cure you from it?”
More than 5 million people have watched the video since it was posted in early August, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Wake requires athletes to wear masks on sidelines
Wake County Schools will require athletes to wear face masks while on the sidelines if they aren’t playing or practicing, according to an email sent Wednesday to principals.
Officials attributed the decision to an increase in cluster outbreaks and other exposures in high school sports.
“Face coverings will now be required for students unless they are directly participating in games, practices and performances,” Wake told schools. “This applies to all sports teams, marching bands and other student groups including, but not limited to, cheerleading and JROTC activities.”
Most NC school districts require masks
Face masks are now required in almost all North Carolina school districts as the coronavirus continues to spread.
Several districts have made changes since early August, when the majority of the 115 school systems statewide had planned to start the academic year without mandating face coverings.
As of Thursday morning, “106 of the 115 school districts have moved to masking requirements, and that covers about 94% of our children in our public school system,” state health director Dr. Betsey Tilson said Thursday.
“There has been a lot of movement as we have gone forward, with about 46% of districts changing their policies within the past couple of weeks,” Tilson said at a State Board of Education Meeting, according to The News & Observer.
Charlotte-area doctors warn of ‘incredibly full’ hospitals
Doctors in the Charlotte area said hospitals are getting “incredibly full” as they issued a plea for people to get COVID-19 vaccines.
”Quite frankly, beds are scarce,” said Dr. Sid Fletcher, chief clinical officer for Novant Health. “We are running short on resources.”
The hospital system joined Atrium Health and CaroMont Health on Thursday to warn about rising coronavirus metrics near Charlotte. The health care providers said most recent coronavirus-related deaths and hospitalizations have been among the unvaccinated, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Doctors also urged people who haven’t gotten a COVID-19 shot to rethink trips or big gatherings planned for the upcoming Labor Day weekend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued a similar recommendation, saying unvaccinated people shouldn’t travel around the holiday.
Some colleges report majority of students vaccinated as COVID spreads
As students return to college campuses, some North Carolina schools report that more than 90% of students have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
But other schools report lower vaccination rates, with about half of students getting their shots, The News & Observer reported Thursday.
Here’s a list of the rates at several universities, including some private schools that are requiring students to get vaccinated.
This story was originally published September 3, 2021 at 7:10 AM.
