Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Jan. 5
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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.
More than 20,000 new cases reported
At least 1,763,614 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus, and at least 19,542 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Jan. 5, reported 20,770 new COVID-19 cases, up from 10,276 the day before.
Another 48 coronavirus-related deaths were reported on Jan. 5. Health officials don’t specify the dates on which newly reported deaths occurred.
At least 3,099 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Jan. 5, up from 2,984 the day before, health officials said.
As of Jan. 3, the latest date with available information, 31.8% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. 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 70% have been fully vaccinated. 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.
More than 2.5 million “additional/booster” doses have been administered in North Carolina as of Jan. 5, the health department said. Health officials have urged those who are eligible to get boosted, as data suggests it offers increased protection against the omicron coronavirus variant.
StarMed closes testing site where worker was threatened
StarMed closed its COVID-19 testing location on South Boulevard near Arrowood Road after a man threatened a worker with two dogs and a shotgun on Wednesday, Jan. 5.
No one was hurt, The Charlotte Observer reported, but National Guard members from StarMed’s west Charlotte location were moved to South Boulevard after the incident. Operations at the testing site returned to normal for a few hours before StarMed closed the line just before 1:30 p.m.
StarMed CEO Mike Estramonte said he thinks the incident stemmed from frustrations over long testing lines.
Why it’s harder for schools to switch to remote instruction
State law prevents school districts in North Carolina from switching to remote instruction even as new COVID-19 cases hit record levels.
Under Senate Bill 654, which passed in August, schools and individual classes can only switch if the number of exposures leads to not having enough staff or too many students quarantined, The News & Observer reported. Even then, in-person learning must return as soon as there’s enough staff or students are finished quarantining.
Schools that move to remote instruction must tell the Department of Public Instruction within 72 hours. DPI told The N&O that no schools have reported such a shift.
DPI spokesperson Blair Rhoades said school districts still have the option of going fully remote. But Rick Su, a UNC Law School professor, said the law has created a higher bar for them.
“It severely hampers going remote unless there are these specific conditions,” Su said in an interview. “A general concern about escalating case counts is not one of those conditions.”
What to do if you test positive for COVID
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued new guidelines for individuals infected with or exposed to COVID-19.
Anyone who has presumed or confirmed COVID-19 is instructed to isolate for five days under the new rules, The News & Observer reported. “Day zero” is considered either the first day you experience symptoms or the day you tested positive.
The isolation period will start over for people who test positive and are asymptomatic but later develop symptoms. “Day Zero” then becomes the first day you show symptoms and “day one” is the first full day after the symptoms appear.
Individuals exposed to someone who tests positive for the coronavirus will need to quarantine if they are over 18 and have not received a booster shot or are completely unvaccinated.
Triangle housing costs continue to rise during pandemic
Triangle home prices and rents were on the rise before the coronavirus pandemic and continue to get higher.
The median sales price in local counties was $369,000 in November. That’s up from $279,900 in November 2019 and $269,900 the prior year, data show.
Rents have also gone up, including for Cary resident Marcia Cloud who said the pandemic led her to earn less money at work. Also in Cary, Erika White said she’s spending more than half her income on rent.
“There isn’t really much of an option around here,” White said, according to The News & Observer.
Charlotte-area school delays return due to COVID concerns
A Charlotte-area charter school is pushing back students’ return to school as the coronavirus continues to spread.
Socrates Academy in Matthews is temporarily closed after workers tested positive. A board of directors plans to consider future steps during a Jan. 5 meeting, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“We understand that this is an inconvenience for many families, but our priority as always, is the safety of our students and community first,” officials said in a statement. “We appreciate your continued support as we navigate this pandemic and the challenges it brings.”
Earlier this year, Socrates Academy was the first one near Charlotte to mandate vaccinations for all workers.
Some students need COVID test to get into Duke game
Duke University continued to update its COVID-19 protocols on Tuesday, Jan. 4, in the lead-up to its men’s basketball game at Cameron Indoor Stadium against Georgia Tech.
Under the rules, some students would have to pay $45 for an on-site rapid antigen test to prove they are COVID-19 negative, The News & Observer reported. If a student tested positive for the virus after early October but before Christmas Day, they will be allowed in without proof of a negative test.
Duke postponed the start of in-person classes to Jan. 18 but has allowed on-campus venues to continue operating.
Face coverings were required at the Jan. 4 game, and spectators from the general public have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test result.
On the court, the Blue Devils faced two canceled games and other coronavirus-related disruptions before playing Georgia Tech.
“I hope we can get out of it because we are not close to being the team we were before the break,” Krzyzewski said. “We can be, we just have to keep going.”
Report suggests Mecklenburg jail lower number of inmates
A North Carolina state inspection of the Mecklenburg County jail found “significant safety concerns around staffing shortages,” including those linked to coronavirus outbreaks that have left dozens of workers sick.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office said it’s working to reduce its number of inmates and plans to address topics mentioned in the state report, such as transfers and early release. While some Charlotte-area jails have room for additional people, several have limited staffing.
The inspection found the jail couldn’t safely have an emergency evacuation or control a violent incident fast enough, The Charlotte Observer reported on Jan. 3.
“Our staff has worked through the COVID-19 Pandemic since the beginning of 2020,” Sheriff Garry McFadden said in a news release. “They are fatigued, coping with loss due to the virus or battling the virus themselves while still fulfilling their duties at MCSO. We must take all of these factors into account, but we will not cease in our efforts to adequately operate our detention facility.”
Cooper urges vaccinations amid omicron wave
Gov. Roy Cooper urged North Carolinians to get vaccinated — including getting their booster shots — and continue wearing masks as the omicron variant causes a spike in COVID-19 metrics statewide.
“We will have to learn how to live with it, and continue to keep kids in schools and businesses open, and government operations running effectively and efficiently,” Cooper said of the coronavirus pandemic.
Demand for tests has driven down supply, but Cooper said it should increase in the next few weeks. He also said he plans to extend an executive order requiring all state employees to get vaccinated or agree to weekly COVID-19 testing.
Kody Kinsley, the new director of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, said the state has continued to break records in terms of new daily cases.
“Last week we set a single day record for COVID-19 cases,” he said. “The next day, we broke it. And the next day, we broke it again.”
What to do if you lose, damage COVID vaccine card
Residents who lose or damage their COVID-19 vaccine card have options to potentially replace it, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Individuals who got their shots from a retailer, such as CVS or Walgreens, will have to contact the store directly. But if they got vaccinated at a doctor’s office, hospital, locally owned pharmacy, health department office or community event, they may be able to access their proof of vaccination online at North Carolina’s COVID-19 Vaccine Portal.
The portal will show a QR code on a person’s printable records that can be scanned by a QR reader app or a mobile phone camera to display their proof of vaccination.
Dancing doctors are back at UNC Children’s Hospital
A group of pediatricians at UNC Children’s Hospital has returned with a catchy dance video to recognize medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s the second time the team of doctors led by Dr. Stuart Gold has made a video to celebrate the end to another tough year.
“I think COVID hurt the world,” Gold said. “We expected it to be better this year. It wasn’t.”
The video is set to Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” and follows Gold and his team of doctors as they twist and twirl through exam rooms, The News & Observer reported. All of the dancers are vaccinated and were wearing masks.
It’s a follow-up to their first hit, released at the end of 2020, that featured Gold in a gold jacket with sparkling dance shoes lip-synching to Whitney Houston.
COVID is ‘pushing the boundaries’ for NC hospitals
Though the omicron coronavirus variant is believed to cause fewer serious illnesses, hospitalizations are rising in North Carolina.
“We’re still pushing the boundaries of what hospitals can handle,” said Dr. David Priest, an infectious disease expert at Novant Health.
In Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte, the rate of positive tests is 27.6%. That’s above 5%, the threshold required for one week before the county would stop mandating face masks. Charlotte-area providers are expanding testing options as the contagious omicron variant leads to a spike in infections.
“We are seeing steeper increases (in cases) than we’ve ever seen before in a shorter timeframe,” infectious disease expert Dr. Katie Passaretti of Atrium Health said, according to The Charlotte Observer.
NC inmate dies after contracting COVID
A man living at a North Carolina prison died over the weekend after contracting COVID-19, officials said.
The man was housed at the Greene Correctional Institute, which had seven active coronavirus cases as of Jan. 3. At least 181 had been tied to the Eastern North Carolina prison since the start of the pandemic, The News & Observer reported.
The inmate, a man in his 70s, was hospitalized after he tested positive for the disease on Dec. 21. He had pre-existing medical conditions and hadn’t gotten vaccinated against COVID-19.
“We are working hard in our ongoing efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 in our prisons,” Todd Ishee, commissioner of prisons, said in a news release. “The health and safety of the staff and the offenders is our top priority. We strongly encourage all offenders to elect to be vaccinated and boosted.”
This story was originally published January 5, 2022 at 7:05 AM.
