COVID vaccine live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 28
Click here for updates for June 29.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 200 new cases reported
At least 1,013,207 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 13,420 have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reported 294 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, down from 515 on Sunday but up from 55 on Saturday. The state doesn’t released updated case counts over the weekends.
Eight additional coronavirus-related deaths were reported Monday. Deaths don’t necessarily occur on the day the state reports them. The state health department revises its daily figures as more information becomes available.
At least 368 people were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Monday, up slightly from 365 the day before.
As of Saturday — the most recent date available — 2.7% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 55% of adults in North Carolina have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine and about 52% have been fully vaccinated. State health officials round vaccination numbers to the nearest whole number.
Did NC State players have enough time to get vaccinated?
Some have argued players on N.C. State’s baseball team should have been vaccinated prior to the NCAA tournament after the season came to an abrupt end over the weekend.
N.C. State needed one win to get to the final round of the College World Series when the team was eliminated following positive COVID tests within the Wolfpack program, The News & Observer reported.
Athletic director Boo Corrigan said in a statement Saturday some players were waiting until the season ended to get their vaccines in case of side effects, adding that N.C. State couldn’t force its students to get the vaccine.
He also said some of the players who tested positive had been vaccinated.
What to know about flying out of RDU over holiday weekend
Travelers should expect long wait times and more passenger traffic at Raleigh-Durham International Airport during the holiday weekend.
Officials said the airport could have its busiest week since before the coronavirus pandemic, The News & Observer reported.
RDU Airport is expecting roughly 224,000 passengers between July 2 and July 8 — a 200% increase from the same week last year. The busiest days will be Friday, July 2 and Monday, July 5.
Passengers should plan to arrive at least two hours early. Masks are also required at all times, according to federal guidelines.
NC announces winners of vaccine lottery
North Carolina on Monday revealed the first winners of the state’s COVID-19 vaccine lottery.
A Winston-Salem teacher scored the $1 million prize, and a Wilmington teenager snagged a $125,000 scholarship, The News & Observer reported. The winners beat odds of roughly 1 in 4 million.
“When I first got the phone call, I thought it was a total lie,” 14-year-old Vania Martinez said of her big win. “It was exciting, but at the same time crazy.”
North Carolina held its first prize drawing last week as it aims to increase vaccination rates. As of Monday, about 55% of adults had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, behind President Joe Biden’s goal of 70%.
The next drawing is set for July 7.
Some in Triangle want to continue remote work after pandemic
The Raleigh-Durham metropolitan area was one of the top U.S. places where workers want to do their jobs remotely and soon plan to be looking for work, a new survey finds.
About 54% of Triangle workers hope to do full-time remote work, and 37% will search for jobs in the next few months, according to results from Robert Half. The consulting firm surveyed 3,000 adults from March to April, The News & Observer reported Monday.
“There is no doubt that workers in Raleigh are feeling confident in their job prospects,” Kendall Strickland of Robert Half wrote in an email. “With that comes the ability to demand a little bit more from either their current employer or a hiring manager from another organization who is in need of top talent.”
During the pandemic, many employers allowed workers to do their jobs at home to help stop the spread of COVID-19. As coronavirus-related restrictions lift, some Triangle companies are bringing workers back to the office with flexible schedules.
NC researchers have success with nasal spray that could treat COVID
A nasal spray that could have the potential to treat COVID-19 has had some success, according to North Carolina researchers.
In studies, researchers from N.C. State University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill developed fake cells that can be inhaled. Those cells won’t allow the virus that causes COVID-19 to bind to them, The News & Observer reported Saturday.
“Based on the evolution, whatever the various variants are, no matter how much they change, as long as they enter the lung cells, we can attack them because we’re using the membrane of our own lung cells to bind the virus,” said Dr. Ke Cheng, a study co-author.
So far, the potential therapy has been tested in animals, and researchers would need the Food and Drug Administration to approve human trials.
Delta variant could become dominant strain in NC
The delta coronavirus variant will probably become North Carolina’s dominant strain in the next weeks or months, experts say.
“If you are unvaccinated, you should be afraid, very afraid, of the delta variant, because it is what is going to start circulating almost certainly, more dominantly,” said Dr. David Wohl of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
In the four weeks leading up to June 22, the variant accounted for 0.7% of cases in the state. But that rate is expected to increase, The News & Observer reported Saturday.
“We’re certainly concerned about the delta variant, and we expect to see cases and have seen cases of the delta variant in North Carolina and expect to see more as it continues to spread,” said Erica Wilson, epidemiologist with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
The variant, which is believed to have the ability to spread faster, could become the dominant strain across the United States.
This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 12:43 PM.
