COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Oct. 11
Click here for updates for Oct. 12.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 2,100 hospitalizations reported
At least 1,434,551 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 17,207 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported 1,786 new COVID-19 cases, down from 3,467 on Sunday and 4,236 on Saturday.
One hundred three additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Monday. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which data newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 2,152 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Monday, including 581 adult patients who are being treated in intensive care units, health officials said.
On Saturday, the latest date with available information, 7.5% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 70% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 65% have been fully vaccinated. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
COVID cases coming down in NC
Coronavirus cases are dropping in North Carolina after a surge related to the delta variant, data show.
The metrics have been going down since mid-September. At the beginning of that month, the state reported more than 50,000 cases weekly. But in the week leading up to Oct. 8, the new case count had dropped to almost 25,000.
“There’s always a peak, and a peak means it’s followed by a decline, and declines happen after surges for a variety of reasons,” said Dr. David Wohl of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “One reason is the number of susceptible people who are in a position to be infected starts to decrease.”
But there could be another surge in the future, according to Wohl, an infectious disease expert.
“A welcome decrease in new cases and deaths might be countered by colder weather and Thanksgiving,” he said. “I think people are going to gather for Thanksgiving thinking they’re better protected than they are.”
While vaccinations went up in July and August, they’ve gone down in recent weeks in North Carolina, The News & Observer reported Sunday.
New NC nurses entering field amid shortage of workers
New nurses in North Carolina are helping to fill a labor shortage as the emotional toll of the coronavirus pandemic hits those who have worked in health care.
A soon-to-be-relased model shows people leaving the nursing field early could lead to a shortage of 21,000 nurses or more, according to Erin Fraher, deputy director of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
“We know there are people who probably feel like they have lived through about five years over the past 18 months,” Fraher said. “I think there will be people who say, ‘I have had enough. I’m tired.’”
As health care providers across the country face nursing shortages, UNC Rex Healthcare “leans on fluidity, moving people around quickly to respond to the most pressing needs,” The News & Observer reported Sunday.
While North Carolina has had to get nurses from out of state for a long time, COVID-19 worsened the shortage. During the pandemic, an increasing number of people have taken lucrative traveling nurse jobs, which can bring them all over the country.
This story was originally published October 11, 2021 at 12:37 PM.
