Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on Feb. 9
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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.
Case count tops 2.5 million
At least 2,509,470 coronavirus cases have been reported in North Carolina, and at least 21,482 people have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday, Feb. 9, reported 10,513 new COVID-19 cases, up from 4,648 the day before. Another 157 coronavirus-related deaths were added.
At least 3,812 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 on Feb. 9, including 651 adults being treated in intensive care units. The total patient count was down from 3,956 the previous day, according to state health officials.
As of Feb. 7, the latest date with available information, 20.2% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 75% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and about 71% are fully vaccinated. Of the state’s total population, about 61% are fully vaccinated and about 65% have received at least one dose. State officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
More than 3 million ”additional/booster” doses have been administered in North Carolina as of Feb. 9, 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.
About 96% new COVID-19 cases in the nation were attributed to the omicron variant while others were attributed to a subvariant as of Feb. 5, the latest date for which data is available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Can Charlotte businesses still require face masks?
Private businesses in North Carolina can require customers to wear face masks under an executive order issued last year — even if their county does away with its mask mandate.
If someone chooses not to abide by a business’s mask requirement, it could be considered criminal trespassing, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Atrium Health said it will keep its face mask policy if Mecklenburg County opts to lift the mandate, while Blumenthal Performing Arts said it’s waiting to hear from health officials before making any decision.
“Throughout all of this, we have very carefully followed health guidance from officials, so we’re going to be watching carefully to see what the recommendation is,” Blumenthal Performing Arts CEO Tom Gabbard said. “Once we hear what their plans are, we will adjust our plans accordingly.”
NC National Guard members to help struggling hospital
At least 25 soldiers and airmen from the N.C. National Guard will be deployed to Alamance Regional Medical Center in Burlington, beginning on Thursday, Feb. 10.
Officials said they will stay there through March 4 to help staff who are struggling under the weight of COVID-19 cases. It marks the first time since the start of the pandemic that guard members have been deployed to work alongside hospital workers in North Carolina, The News & Observer reported.
Their job duties will include checking vital signs, giving COVID-19 tests and EKGs, delivering meals and entering data, allowing doctors and nurses to do more hands-on work with patients.
Raleigh isn’t ending face mask mandate for now
Raleigh won’t end its face mask mandate, but a change to the requirement could be considered in two weeks.
“I would just ask people to please be patient,” Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin said. “We have another meeting in two weeks. We want to like look at the numbers, make sure we’re doing the right thing.”
The city has had a mask requirement since August and now anticipates possible updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Baldwin said some people have wanted to keep the mandate while others want it gone.
COVID-related rent relief returning to Charlotte area
A program offering relief for housing costs is set to reopen in Mecklenburg County, home to Charlotte.
Mecklenburg commissioners received the update on Feb. 8 after funds almost ran out. Now, there’s an additional $22 million in funding from the state and U.S. Treasury Department allocations.
DreamKey Partners, a nonprofit, has spent an average of $700,000 each business day to provide assistance, according to chief strategy officer Erin Barbee.
Residents eligible for assistance on rent, utilities and mortgage payments are required to have “a pandemic-related income loss, illness or other financial hardship and have a household income up to 80% of the area median income,” The Charlotte Observer reported.
More information is available at rampclt.com.
Enrollment drops in Wake public schools during COVID
After seeing a drop in students during the coronavirus pandemic, the largest school district in North Carolina may not see pre-pandemic enrollment levels until 2030.
The district lost about 3,000 students as enrollment grew at “charter schools, private schools and home-schools,” The News & Observer reported on Feb. 8. Projections, which can be used for budgeting and renovation plans, show those students are expected to remain outside of traditional public schools.
“Many families have become more involved in the day-to-day education of their children during the COVID-19 pandemic, which may change their expectations of public education,” Carolina Demography wrote in a report.
Charlotte schools keep mask mandate as it ends in Johnston County district
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district will continue requiring face masks as some call for the mandate to end.
The school board voted to keep the rule as some members said it’s helping parents and workers to feel safe. Board member Ruby Jones said some schools have ventilation issues and crowded classrooms amid a teacher shortage.
On Feb. 8, multiple parents urged the district to make masks optional as they cited the potential impacts on communications skills, The Charlotte Observer reported.
Meanwhile, the Johnston County School Board voted to make face masks optional starting Feb. 21.
Officials in the district southeast of Raleigh said masks won’t be required as long as less than 4% of an individual school’s students and staff are quarantined because of COVID-19, The News & Observer reported.
“It’s time to give the parents the choice,” said board chairman Todd Sutton. “Let them decide what’s best for their students. Let the staff decide what’s best for themselves.”
In compliance with federal rules, face masks will still be required on school buses.
When will Mecklenburg County end its mask mandate?
Mecklenburg County Health Director Raynard Washington said he plans to recommend ending the countywide face mask mandate next week if COVID-19 trends continue to trend downward.
The 7-day average positivity rate in Mecklenburg County has dropped from 27.6% to 20.8% over the last week, The Charlotte Observer reported. That’s down from 32% at the beginning of January.
County commissioners had previously said they wouldn’t remove the mandate without a recommendation from public health officials. The current mask mandate took effect in August and was nearly dropped in November as COVID-19 cases declined, according to the Observer.
But the omicron variant disrupted those plans, leading to record high case numbers and percent positivity rates that have since dropped off.
“Assuming the trends continue the way they are ... I’ll be able to stand there confidently and do that, and make that recommendation,” Washington said during a county commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
Workers leaving state health department during pandemic
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services has almost 3,500 open positions, and the situation is causing burnout among people still working at state mental health centers.
Jessica Gazso, a pharmacy tech, said some healthcare workers have moved onto jobs that offer more money and better hours. She said overtime work during the COVID-19 pandemic pushed several people out.
The state health department said it has become difficult to recruit new workers in the last two years.
“Even before the pandemic began, the competitive market for hiring critical high-demand workers such as health care professionals, information technology, and engineering made it challenging to recruit and retain employees in these fields,” said Bailey Pennington, a DHHS spokesperson, told The News & Observer in an email. “Unfortunately, that situation has been exacerbated by the pandemic.”
This story was originally published February 9, 2022 at 7:07 AM.
