COVID hospitalizations fall to last fall’s levels, as NC advances vaccine eligibility
The weekly average of people hospitalized with COVID-19 continued to fall Thursday, reaching a level not seen since last October, according to state data.
Over the last week, North Carolina hospitals have reported an average of 957 people hospitalized with COVID-19 per day. The seven-day average of hospitalizations has steadily declined since Jan. 18.
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Thursday that vaccinations will be open to people who are classified as essential workers on March 31, a week earlier than originally planned. Every adult in the state will be able to receive a vaccine starting April 7, nearly a month ahead of the May 1 target set by President Joe Biden.
“In the next couple of months, we’ll have enough supply for everyone who wants a vaccine to get one,” Cooper said during a Thursday press conference. “And when that happens, each of us is going to have to talk to our friends and family who are hesitating about getting vaccinated and convince them to do it because the vaccine is our path to recovery.”
After steadily declining since January, the seven-day average of new cases has started to level off in the last week, hovering between 1,600 and 1,800 new cases each day. Since Tuesday, the seven-day average has climbed slightly, from an average of 1,693 new cases over the past week to 1,723 new cases.
DHHS also reported that 68 of the 93 deaths that were reported Thursday happened in Wake County between June 1, 2020, and March 8, 2021. The county’s public health department linked the deaths with COVID-19 after searching through vital records, according to DHHS.
COVID-19 data of the day
DHHS reports its data using Tableau Public, which suffered widespread outages on Thursday. Therefore, much of the data that is typically reported was not available. Cooper did provide some numbers during a press conference.
Case and hospitalization data reported by DHHS are preliminary and subject to change upon further investigation. Here are additional statistics reported Thursday, with changes from the previous day:
- Total cases: 903,374 (+2,112)
- Deaths: 11,987 (+93)
- Tests: 11,134,163 (+46,415)
- People hospitalized: 945 (-36)
- COVID-19 adult ICU patients: n/a
- Available ICU beds: n/a
- Available inpatient beds: n/a
- Patients on ventilators: n/a
Inpatient and ICU beds are not all used by COVID-19 patients, according to DHHS.
Deaths do not all occur on the date they are reported. DHHS updates its numbers as information becomes available. For example, according to the latest DHHS data, the deadliest day of the pandemic was Jan. 15 when 124 people died. The state originally reported that 108 people had died on Jan. 15.
Vaccine statistics reported Wednesday:
- First doses arrived: 2,156,680
- First doses administered: 2,230,701 (103%)*
- Second doses arrived: 1,629,225
- Second doses administered: 1,310,860 (80%)
- Single shot doses arrived: 95,200
- Single shot doses administered: 85,136 (89%)
*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.
Vaccine doses administered in North Carolina through the federal, long-term care program:
- First doses arrived: 145,900
- First doses administered: 128,755 (88%)
- Second doses arrived: 145,900
- Second doses administered: 106,505 (73%)
Overall vaccine statistics, as of Wednesday:
- Total doses administered: 3,811,514
- Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,479,824
- Percent of population who have received at least one dose: 22.2%
- Percent of population fully vaccinated: 14.1%
- Percent of population 18 or older who have received at least one dose: 28.5%
- Percent of population 18 or older fully vaccinated: 18.1%
Breakdown of those fully vaccinated by race vs. percentage of total population, as of Wednesday:
- American Indian or Alaskan Native: 0.7% (1.7%)
- Asian or Pacific Islander: 2.6% (3.5%)
- Black or African-American: 15.2% (23.1%)
- White: 77.1% (71.7%)
By ethnicity:
- Hispanic: 2.9% (9.8%)
- Non-Hispanic: 95.9% (90.2%)
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 4:39 PM.