‘Together we grieve,’ NC health director says as state passes 10,000 COVID deaths
Over 10,000 North Carolinians have now died due to COVID-19 since the first case was reported in the state last March.
The state Department of Health and Human Services added 55 deaths to North Carolina’s death tally on Tuesday, bringing the total to 10,046 deaths.
Deaths do not all occur on the date they are reported. DHHS updates its numbers as information becomes available. According to the most recent DHHS data, the deadliest day of the pandemic was Jan. 4, when 104 people died.
“Together we grieve with the family and friends of the North Carolinians who have lost their lives to this terrible pandemic,” said DHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen in a press release announcing that the state’s grim milestone.
“Each one of these numbers represents a daughter or son, a parent or grandparent, a neighbor or friend — people who are deeply loved and who were part of the fabric of our community”
New reported cases continue to decline
DHHS reported 2,786 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, a decrease of 298 from Monday’s new case count and the fewest reported since Nov. 30.
New reported cases have steadily decreased as the state has administered over 1.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines since mid-December. The last time DHHS reported over 7,000 new cases in day was Jan. 23.
Statewide hospitalizations increased by four to 2,374 with 97% of hospitals reporting, according to DHHS.
It’s the first time that DHHS has reported an increase in statewide hospitalizations since Jan. 29.
Among the test results reported from Sunday, the latest day with data available, 9.3% returned positive, an increase from the 8.5% reported from Saturday.
The state has seen a gradual decrease in the percent positive rate over the last few weeks, though. On Jan. 4, the state reported a pandemic high of 17.1%.
State health officials have said they want the rate at 5% or lower. The last time that North Carolina met this standard was Sept. 24.
Case and hospitalization data reported by DHHS are preliminary and subject to change upon further investigation.
Vaccinations
As of Tuesday, 994,776 first doses of the vaccine and 301,234 second doses have been administered in North Carolina by health providers.
The COVID-19 vaccine requires two doses, given roughly four weeks apart, in order to be fully effective.
Of the first doses the federal government has sent North Carolina, all have been administered. Overall, including second doses, 84% of doses have been administered.
Vaccines at long-term care facilities are administered by a partnership of the federal government, Walgreens and CVS. Through that partnership, another 140,735 doses have been administered in North Carolina, as of Tuesday.
Of all the doses that have arrived in North Carolina for long-term care facilities, 69% of first doses have been administered. When second doses are included, 47% have been administered.
Combining doses administered through the federal long-term facility program and through the state, 1,436,745 doses have been administered in North Carolina.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Gov. Roy Cooper said the state will announce this week when it will expand COVID-19 vaccination eligibility to teachers, firefighters and other frontline essential workers.
Currently, the state is only vaccinating health care workers, those age 65 and older and residents and staff at long-term care facilities.
Cooper said the state would need to meet the demand of these groups before vaccinating others.
“There are thousands and thousands of people who are on waiting lists across the state who are 65 and over,” Cooper said. “We’re working on getting more supply and making sure that people 65 and older get vaccinated.”
Plans for a mass vaccination megasite for Durham County are “on pause,” Health Director Rod Jenkins said Monday.
The county had planned to vaccinate 17,000 people a week at the site, but those plans are on hold until the state gets more first and second vaccine doses, Jenkins told the county commissioners.
“It’s not necessarily the best news that we want to hear, but I’m confident that when supplies become a little bit more robust, that that is going to go back on,” he said. “But planning for that has been paused at this time.”
DHHS has created an online portal at findmygroup.nc.gov for people trying to find out what vaccination group they are in.
DHHS has also opened a vaccine help line at 888-675-4567 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
The help line provides general information about the COVID-19 vaccine including information on eligibility, clinical questions about the vaccine, and how to find vaccine locations.
People can also enter their address or ZIP code at myspot.nc.gov/map-view to find their nearest vaccine location.
General information on the vaccine, specifically as it relates to North Carolina, can be found at covid19.ncdhhs.gov/vaccines.
ICU and hospital capacity
DHHS reported 474 available intensive care unit beds on Tuesday, down eight from Monday.
Of the 1,989 ICU beds in use, 558 are adult COVID-19 patients, down one from Monday’s total.
Overall, the number of adult ICU patients statewide has decreased steadily from the 880 reported on Jan. 16.
Available inpatient beds across the state are now at 5,522, a decrease of 112 from Monday.
The inpatient beds in use are not all being used by COVID-19 patients, and the fluctuation in available beds does not indicate a surge in patients, according to DHHS.
As of Tuesday, 81% of ICU beds and 74% of inpatient beds are in use statewide.
This story was originally published February 9, 2021 at 2:25 PM.