Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Dec. 23
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 4,800 cases added
At least 1,607,378 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 19,233 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Dec. 22, reported 4,889 new COVID-19 cases, up from 2,894 the day before. Due to the Christmas holiday, the state said it doesn’t plan to update daily case counts again until Dec. 28.
There were 50 additional coronavirus-related deaths on Dec. 22. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 1,680 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Dec. 22, including 444 adults being treated in intensive care units, health officials said.
As of Dec. 20, the latest date with available information, 10.4% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 73% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 69% have been fully vaccinated. Out of the state’s total population, about 58% are fully vaccinated and 62% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
NC county handed out recalled COVID tests
The Guilford County Health Department distributed 500 at-home COVID-19 test kits, some of which had been recalled by the manufacturer.
The kits by Ellume were handed out at two locations on Wednesday, Dec. 22. Ellume voluntarily recalled some of the tests in October over concerns about a high number of false positives. The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, which had received a large number of the test kits, removed most of the affected batches.
But some tests affected by the recall had been sent to Guilford County.
County health officials said they don’t know how many recalled tests were given out but said there’s no reason for people to be concerned about their health and safety if they did receive one of the potentially faulty tests.
Wake adds test appointments for Christmas Eve
Wake County has added COVID-19 test appointments on Christmas Eve to try to meet increased demand before the holiday.
The tests will be available at the Word of God Fellowship Church in Raleigh from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m, The News & Observer reported. They hope to have the results by morning or midday on Dec. 25 with lab teams working on Christmas Day until all tests are processed.
The county previously announced it will double the daily testing appointments starting Thursday, Dec. 23, to meet holiday demand — now offering 13,000 daily testing slots across all five drive-through testing sites.
All sites are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and will reopen at those hours Monday, Dec. 27, after the holiday weekend. All testing sites also will be open until 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 24, per United Providers of Health’s website.
More information on where and how you can get a test can be found here.
The new omicron coronavirus variant has changed the timing recommendations for COVID-19 tests. Dr. David Wohl, from the UNC School of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Diseases, recommends testing twice if taking a COVID-19 test before a gathering: a PCR test three days before the gathering and a rapid at-home test the day of, according to The News & Observer.
Is omicron spreading in the Triangle?
New COVID-19 cases are surging in North Carolina after the state reported its first case of the highly-contagious omicron variant on Dec. 10.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention don’t have up-to-date figures on the number of omicron cases in each state, the variant currently makes up about 73% of new cases nationwide and over 95% of cases in the Southeast, The News & Observer reported.
Wake, Durham and Orange counties have seen over 3,600 new COVID-19 cases in the past week — up from 2,700 the previous week and 1,760 the week before Thanksgiving.
Hospitalizations in the Triangle climbed to 207 on Dec. 21, up from 143 before Thanksgiving, according to The N&O.
59 patients test positive of COVID at rehab center
At least 59 people, including 41 patients and 18 workers, have tested positive for the coronavirus at the Carolina Rehab Center of Cumberland, according to its website.
Data show a total of 143 infections have been linked to the rehab center in Fayetteville since May 2020.
The most recent case numbers were published one day after the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services released its statewide report showing 87 cases at the center. That list of ongoing outbreaks said the counts were preliminary and “subject to change,” according to DHHS.
According to the statewide list, the outbreak at Carolina Rehab Center is the second-largest in North Carolina behind O’Berry Neuro-Medical Treatment Center in Wayne County, where 193 cases were reported.
Wake experiencing long lines for COVID tests
Wake County’s COVID-19 test sites were flooded with long lines on Wednesday, Dec. 22, as people rushed to get tested ahead of Christmas.
Some people reported waiting as long as 45 minutes at the Kidd Road testing site, The News & Observer reported. And while the county does require an appointment to get tested, many in line don’t have them.
Wake County spokesperson Leah Holdren said test sites in Raleigh have more appointments and more traffic moving through while some smaller sites don’t have parking lots big enough to accommodate so many cars. She also said the lines aren’t separated between people who do and don’t have appointments.
“We ask the public to have patience as there are thousands of people trying to get tested around the county before the holidays,” Holdren said. “We are having the people show up on the sites without appointments. This slows the process down, as the staff help them out of the line so they can pull over and make an appointment to allow those who have scheduled appointments through.”
Duke delays in-person classes for spring
Duke University announced it will start the spring semester remotely amid an expected uptick in COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant.
Undergraduate, graduate and professional classes will be held remote from Jan. 5-8 with in-person instruction expected to return on Jan. 10, The News & Observer reported.
ACC changes forfeit policy for teams impacted by COVID
The ACC changed its forfeit rule on Wednesday, Dec. 22, that governed teams unable to play a game because of positive COVID-19 cases.
Under the new rule, the ACC will allow a team to play as long as it has seven available scholarship players and one coach, The News & Observer reported. If they don’t have the required number of participants, the game will be declared a no contest instead of a forfeit.
Teams that do meet the requirements and decide not to play will be forfeiting, the league said.
The rule will apply retroactively, according to The N&O, so previously forfeited games will now be considered a no contest.
Wake guidance calls for limiting parents in schools
Despite eased state recommendations, guidance from the state’s largest school district still calls on its campuses to limit “non-essential visitors.”
Lisa Luten, a spokesperson for the Wake County district, said each principal can make decisions about having visitors. Some parents have wanted schools to let them back inside to volunteer and visit, The News & Observer reported.
“Let’s get these kids back to having a normal setting, and having parents help at school is part of that normal setting,” said Raleigh parent Suzanne Templeton.
While parents were welcomed on campuses for past school events, a toolkit introduced last year required schools to have restrictions on visitors last school year. After more people got vaccinated, the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services loosened the rules and some Triangle-area school districts started to allow guests inside.
This story was originally published December 23, 2021 at 7:10 AM.
