Falling COVID hospitalizations reflect improvement in coronavirus outbreak in NC
North Carolina continues to recover from the post-holiday surge in coronavirus cases, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the state’s hospitals.
The number of people being treated in hospitals for COVID-19 dropped to 1,941 on Sunday — the lowest number since the end of November, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. Of those patients, 471 were in intensive care units, also the lowest figure in more than two months.
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 at a given time in North Carolina peaked in mid-January at nearly 4,000.
The drop in hospitalizations follows the decline in new coronavirus cases across the state. On Monday, the DHHS reported 2,458 additional cases, bringing the total to 824,352. That’s down from more than 6,400 cases reported each day on average in January.
Also on Monday, the state reported the death toll from COVID-19 had reached 10,501, an increase of more than 1,000 so far this month.
At the same time, the state reported the portion of coronavirus tests returning positive had ticked up in recent days, to 7.7% on Saturday. That’s higher than the 5% target set by state health officials.
More prison inmates have died of COVID-19
An inmate from Craggy Correctional Center near Asheville died at Central Prison in Raleigh after testing positive for COVID-19, the state announced Monday.
The state Department of Public Safety did not name the inmate, but said he was in his mid-70s and had “underlying health conditions.” It said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Dec. 16 and was hospitalized Dec. 28. He was transferred to the hospital at Central Prison on Jan. 14 and died Saturday.
The Department of Public Safety says 45 inmates have died of COVID-19 and that it has 296 active cases, including six inmates who are hospitalized.
Meanwhile, two more inmates at the federal prison complex in Butner died from COVID-19 related complications this month, the federal Bureau of Prisons reported.
Both were in a medium-security prison where an outbreak that has resulted in positive tests for nearly 400 inmates and 22 staff began late last year.
Abdul-Aziz Rashid Muhammad, 64, died Feb. 9 after testing positive Jan. 13. On Feb. 3, William Ray Wooten, 70, died after testing positive on Jan. 7. Both had been hospitalized several days after testing positive. They bring the total number of COVID-related deaths at the Butner complex to 30 inmates and one employee.
Summary of NC coronavirus data
Here are other COVID-19 statistics released Monday, including changes from the day before:
- Total cases: 824,894 (+2,458)
- Deaths: 10,501 (+10)
- Tests: 9,660,088 (+36,724)
- Hospitalizations: 1,941 (-48)
- Available ICU beds: 524 (-4)
- Available inpatient beds: 5,963 (+236)
- Patients on ventilators: 1,029 (-4)
Vaccine statistics reported Monday:
- First doses arrived: 1,112,375
- First doses administered: 1,129,323 (102%)*
- Second doses arrived: 603,550
- Second doses administered: 487,702 (81%)
*The doses administered can exceed doses arrived because hospitals and other health care providers have learned that they can get an extra dose from each vial of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. Across the state, a total of 1,617,025 doses have been administered.
This story was originally published February 15, 2021 at 1:54 PM.
