Coronavirus omicron updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on March 7
Click here for updates for March 8.
We’re tracking the most up-to-date information about the coronavirus and vaccines in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 1,100 hospital patients
At least 2,602,244 coronavirus cases have been reported in North Carolina, and at least 22,802 people have died since March 2020, according to state health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday, March 7, reported 528 new COVID-19 cases, down from 1,458 on March 6 and 2,244 on March 5. The state health department doesn’t update case counts over the weekends.
An additional 39 coronavirus-related deaths were added to the total.
At least 1,140 people were reported hospitalized with COVID-19 as of March 7, including 235 adults being treated in intensive care units, health officials said. The patient count was a slight drop from 1,144 the day before.
As of March 5, the latest date for which information is available, 3.9% of coronavirus tests were reported positive. Health officials say 5% or lower is the target rate to slow the spread of the virus.
Roughly 76% 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 3.1 million ”additional/booster” doses have been administered in North Carolina as of March 7, 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.
Across the nation, virtually all new COVID-19 cases were attributed to the omicron variant and its related “lineages” as of Feb. 26, the latest date for which data is available, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some doctors reticent to give up face masks
As municipalities and school districts drop face mask mandates amid a decline in COVID-19 cases following the omicron surge, some doctors say it makes sense for certain people to keep wearing a mask.
That includes individuals who have not received any dose of a coronavirus vaccine or who face increased risk of getting very sick with COVID-19 because of age or underlying health conditions, The News & Observer reported.
“I think that folks have to be very thoughtful if they’re at risk for severe outcomes from COVID-19 and continue to mask,” said Dr. David Wohl, an infectious disease specialist at UNC Health. “For me — and I’m not necessarily in that category except that I’m 58 — I’m going to continue to mask for a while in indoor public places until the numbers go down, really to a fraction what they are now.”
Dr. Shannon Carson, a pulmonologist who has treated COVID-19 patients at UNC Medical Center in Chapel Hill, said he is still wearing a mask but might change his mind if the case count continues to fall.
“There’s still a virus out there; you’re still getting positive cases. And we still don’t have the best vaccination rate in this state,” Carson said. “So I think wearing masks to protect those individuals is still important until this settles down a bit more.”
Face mask requirement ends in Wake schools
There’s no longer a requirement to wear face masks in the largest school district in North Carolina.
For the first time in two years, students and teachers in the Wake County schools have the option of wearing face coverings. Parents had mixed reactions about the change.
“We were comfortable with our kids making the decision for themselves while others are going to be a little bit more conservative about it, and that’s fine,” Melissa Carolla said, according to The News & Observer.
Another parent, Kaitlin Baynes, said her children will keep wearing masks and wanted Wake to continue requiring masks through the end of the school year.
“We’re just sort of taking it one week at a time, but right now we still feel like there’s a big benefit of wearing masks,” Baynes said. “Our family hasn’t had COVID and we’d like to keep it that way.”
Relief over COVID met with concern at Triangle hospitals
As coronavirus cases and hospitalization counts drop, some school boards and local governments have ended their face mask rules.
Though there’s some optimism at medical centers in the Triangle, some worry that there have been previous lulls before COVID-19 metrics spiked back up. Dr. Rodney McCaskill, medical director of UNC Johnston, said people in hospitals can’t be sure that the pandemic is behind us.
“We felt like this might be over eight months ago, right? Or six months ago, and we had the highest peak we’ve ever had immediately following,” he said, according to The News & Observer. “So I think to feel like it’s over is premature. It might be, but that’s what we thought six months ago.”
Group aims to influence NC school board policies
A group that called for making face masks optional in schools isn’t done with its fight.
Moms for Liberty, which received positive reception in Union County, has been called to join rallies against proposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates. Some members have also helped parents trying to ban explicit books from schools, The Charlotte Observer reported.
But others think the group has too much sway and think the Charlotte-area school board made decisions that harmed the wider community during the coronavirus pandemic.
Parents of kids at high risk increase precautions as mask rules ease
As Charlotte lifts its face mask mandate, parents with children at high risk of getting seriously sick from COVID-19 are taking extra precautions.
Jillian Koroskenyi and her husband, who have two kids with cystic fibrosis, have had to reconsider allowing those children to return to school as mask requirements end, The Charlotte Observer reported.
“Mask mandates being lifted is a bit frustrating being we aren’t out of this yet,” Koroskenyi said. “Makes us not want to go out as much now because a lot more (people) are not wearing masks.”
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 1:10 PM.
