Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Dec. 30
Click here for updates for Dec. 31.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 18,500 cases added
At least 1,667,493 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 19,399 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Thursday, Dec. 30, reported 18,571 new COVID-19 cases. The highest single-day jump in cases was previously recorded at 11,581 in January.
There were 60 additional coronavirus-related deaths on Dec. 30. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 2,258 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Dec. 30, up from 2,122 the day before, health officials said.
As of Dec. 28, the latest date with available information, 22% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. That’s up from 17.3% the previous day’. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 74% 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 59% are fully vaccinated and 63% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
Mecklenburg residents overwhelm ER amid COVID test shortage
Health experts warned a shortage of COVID-19 tests in Mecklenburg County has strained emergency resources, with emergency departments bombarded by people looking to get tested.
Novant Health chief clinical officer Dr. Sid Fletcher said some of those individuals don’t have COVID-19 symptoms, and the influx has led to urgent cares becoming “overwhelmed.”
Fletcher urged people not to go to urgent cares or emergency departments seeking a coronavirus test unless they have severe symptoms, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“If you can’t get tested, if you have symptoms — stay home,” outgoing Mecklenburg health director Gibbie Harris said. “You don’t need to be going to school. You don’t need to go to work. You don’t need to be going into the emergency department, unless you have just a significant serious illness.”
COVID threatens New Year’s dining plans in the Triangle
Restaurants in the Triangle are grappling with shutting down on New Year’s Eve as local cases spike and the omicron variant spreads.
Jimmy Kim, owner of Cucciolo Terrazza, made the call on Wednesday, Dec. 29, to close through the end of the year after an employee tested positive for the virus. He said it cost him reservations on New Year’s Eve but was a straightforward decision.
“It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but the safety of staff members and guests is more important than a few days of service,” he told The News & Observer.
Several other restaurants are still waiting on staff members’ test results before they decide whether to stay open over the holiday weekend.
The cocktail bar Sidebar in Cary opted to close Dec. 29 while they await those results.
“We’ve all been through this a couple times now,” owner Matthew Bettinger said. “We’re not going to fight it, if we need to miss a day or miss two days awaiting test results, we’ll take that time. I’m not going to increase the risk or increase the workload on available staff. Your employees are your biggest assets.”
COVID cases nearly double at Duke Hospital
Hundreds of staff members at Duke Hospital are infected with the coronavirus amid a surge in patient cases.
The number of COVID-19 cases at the hospital jumped by 42% since Monday, Dec. 27, The News & Observer reported, and about 400 employees have tested positive. The deluge has left the hospital scrambling to take care of its patients.
“People need to really move away from the idea that this is mild,” said Dr. Cameron Wolfe, a Duke professor of infectious disease. “It’s not mild for us. We have to cancel surgeries. You can only defer a bypass surgery a few days before people run into trouble.”
Could Charlotte-area schools return to remote learning?
As coronavirus cases rise, Charlotte-area students are preparing to end their holiday break and go back to school.
But remote learning won’t be possible across the entire Charlotte-Mecklenburg school system.
That’s because law that was signed Aug. 30 prevents districts from having fully remote instruction, The Charlotte Observer reported. Senate Bill 654 still allows some classes and schools to transition from face-to-face classes if there are coronavirus-related emergencies.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools requires face masks to be worn indoors and urges people to get vaccinated.
“CMS continues to work with vaccine providers to offer vaccine clinics for anyone who is eligible, and many schools continue to host vaccine events,” spokesperson Vicki Grooms wrote in a recent report. “It is recommended for all adults to receive a vaccine booster, and youth ages 16-17 were recently approved to receive the booster.”
Provider takes workers ‘from front lines’ after positive COVID tests
A North Carolina health care provider said it had to pull workers who received positive COVID-19 tests.
More than 20 StarMed employees were “pulled from the front lines” as the threat of the omicron coronavirus variant looms, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“We will reload and serve the community tomorrow to the very best of our ability,” StarMed wrote Dec. 29 on Twitter. “Thank you for your continued patience and understanding of the situation we’ve all found ourselves in together.”
The provider, which offers COVID-19 testing at several locations, said the spread wasn’t concentrated in one area.
“We didn’t have a mass outbreak at any one site, that’s for certain,” a spokesperson told the Observer. “Just the nature of what we’re doing, testing 1,000-plus per day. We’re gonna bounce back.”
Recently, StarMed said it also opened a new testing and vaccination site in the Starmount neighborhood.
COVID closes bank branches in Charlotte area
A bank with a large presence in North Carolina has temporarily shut down branches as the coronavirus continues to spread.
In the Charlotte area, affected Bank of America branches are in Gastonia, Kannapolis and Monroe as well as locations in “South End, Kenilworth Commons and Park Road,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
“Many of our locations may have reduced hours, alternate days of operations or may have been temporarily closed,” the bank said in its website.
Truist reported having COVID-related closures and listed three Charlotte-area shutdowns on its website, the Observer reported.
While Wells Fargo didn’t report closures in the region, some locations are just offering drive-up services.
Avett Brothers postpone NYE show
The Avett Brothers have postponed their New Year’s Eve concert in Greensboro over concerns about COVID-19 and the highly-contagious omicron variant.
The band was slated to perform Friday.
“A lot of thought has gone into this and a lot of love has gone into this decision,” singer and founding member Seth Avett said in a video on Twitter. “We don’t want to create an unsafe environment and we don’t want to add any burden to our already overwhelmed healthcare workers here in North Carolina and beyond.”
Wake opens new COVID testing sites
Wake County is offering three new mass COVID-19 testing sites to meet a surge in demand as residents rush to get tested between the holidays.
The new locations include the Word of God Assembly Church in Southeast Raleigh, PNC Arena and Five County Stadium in Zebulon. The first opened last week, the second is slated to start testing Dec. 31, and the third will open Jan. 3, The News & Observer reported.
Wake County communications consultant Leah Holdren previously told The N&O officials were anticipating “an increase in testing over the next few days as we (head) ... into New Year’s due to travel, holiday gatherings and potential exposures.”
In Charlotte, tests are available through Mecklenburg County and at United Providers of Health, CVS or Walgreens. Some labs and private pharmacies, such as Rapid Diagnostics and Carolina Pharmacy, also offer tests for a price.
More information about where to get tested in the area can be found here.
RDU sees uptick in flight delays, cancellations
Omicron-fueled flight problems have affected Raleigh-Durham International Airport with several delays and cancellations ahead of New Year’s.
At least seven domestic flights were delayed and another eight were canceled as of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 29, The News & Observer reported. A total of 16 flights into or out of RDU were canceled for the whole day.
Still, RDU spokesperson Stephanie Hawco said they haven’t dealt with as many delays and cancellations as other airports.
“It isn’t uncommon, but we have not seen widespread delays or cancellations this holiday season,” Hawco said. “And it’s difficult to predict whether or not that will remain the same as people continue to travel over the New Year’s holiday.”
Charlotte 49ers latest college basketball season delayed by COVID
The Charlotte 49ers pushed the start of the men’s and women’s Conference USA basketball schedules until at least Jan. 8, making it the latest university to have its season affected by COVID-19.
The university said the its games scheduled for this weekend had to be postponed because of COVID-19 issues among competing teams but that they are working to get them rescheduled. Both the men’s and women’s team were slated to face Florida Atlantic and Florida International this week.
The news follows a similar announcement from Davidson College, which said on Tuesday, Dec. 28, it will delay the start of the conference season for the men’s and women’s basketball teams because of COVID-19 protocols.
Duke University and UNC also had to postpone their basketball games scheduled for this week.
At-home COVID test kit deliveries paused
Labcorp announced it will pause orders of free COVID-19 home test kits from Dec. 29 to Jan. 2 in order to meet customer demand during limited holiday shipping delivery windows.
Labcorp is North Carolina’s free at-home testing option, The News & Observer reported, meaning residents have been able to order free test kits from them through a partnership with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
In-person testing will still be available at some Labcorp locations for $119 per test, according to the company’s website.
Panthers star placed on COVID list
Haason Reddick, an outside linebacker for the Carolina Panthers, was put on the COVID-19/reserve list on Wednesday, Dec. 29.
He joins multiple teammates on the list and won’t play against the New Orleans Saints this weekend.
On Dec. 27, coach Matt Rhule said players went home after a “somewhat significant” number of positive tests, The Charlotte Observer reported.
This story was originally published December 30, 2021 at 7:10 AM.
