Coronavirus in the Carolinas: Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas announce additional help for customers during pandemic

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Here is a roundup of what’s happening so far today, June 17, surrounding COVID-19 in both North Carolina and South Carolina. Scroll below for live, local real-time minute-by-minute updates.

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[COUNTY-BY-COUNTY COVID-19 RESOURCE GUIDE]

[CORONAVIRUS IN THE CAROLINAS; HERE’S HOW TO STAY INFORMED]

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• The number of cases across North Carolina reached 46,855 on Wednesday. North Carolina is now reporting 1,168 deaths, 667,422 completed tests and 846 people currently in the hospital.
• Health leaders issued guidance on reopening NC schools.
• South Carolina also released guidance for its schools.
• Mecklenburg County leaders are discussing a face-covering mandate.
• Cooper says a decision on shuttered businesses will come next week.
• The next stimulus package could include vacation credit, second check.
• SC Gov. Henry McMaster has reopened bowling alleys.
• The upcoming 2020 All-Star Race has been moved out of Charlotte due to COVID-19 cases.
• CDC points to NC, SC for having surges in new coronavirus cases.
• ReOpen NC has started a ‘burn your mask challenge’ on social media.

Live, local updates from Wednesday:

Temperature checks to return at N.C. legislature entrances

(AP) — People trying to enter the two buildings operated by the North Carolina General Assembly will get their temperatures checked again after the COVID-19 protocol was discontinued this week.

Senate Democrats complained after the checks by General Assembly police and nurses were discontinued.

The legislative complex administrator said no one ever registered a temperature high enough to warrant a medical referral when the checks were performed for several weeks. But Paul Coble says the checks will return next week.

Coble says cleaning and safety initiatives and other operating adjustments have resulted in over $1 million in added expenses.

Duke Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas announce additional help for customers during pandemic

Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas today said they are adding steps to help customers who are suffering financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The additional steps build on the swift actions both service providers offered to help customers at the start of the response to the pandemic. Both suspended key credit processes, including disconnections for nonpayment, late payment fees and fees for credit card and other payments.

The company also donated $6 million for COVID-19 relief efforts in Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee.

“We were proud to give our customers peace of mind that their electric and natural gas services would remain on as pandemic conditions left many families without incomes,” said Barbara Higgins, Duke Energy senior vice president and chief customer officer. “Now, we want to help customers prepare as states contemplate fully reopening their economies.”

Read more about this here.

Raleigh will require face coverings in public starting Friday

The City of Raleigh will require face coverings in public places where social distancing is difficult, including grocery stores, pharmacies, sidewalks, parking lots, businesses and public transit.

In a proclamation issued Wednesday, Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin amended her state of emergency to include the requirement beginning Friday at 4 p.m.

Additionally, all restaurant, personal care, grooming, tattoo and retail employees and staff members must wear face coverings while working.

Baldwin modeled her order after similar proclamations from Durham and Orange counties. Under the order, some are exempt from wearing face coverings, including people whose religious beliefs prevent it, those who cannot due to a medical or behavioral condition, children younger than 12 years old, restaurant patrons, people in private offices or their own homes, or people complying with law enforcement officers.

Face coverings are also not required when its impossible or impractical to wear one, for example, while swimming or at the dentist’s office.

Under the order, law enforcement officers are encouraged to educate the public and push for voluntary compliance.

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Highest One-Day Total of COVID-19 Cases Reported in Caldwell County

Today, 23 COVID-19 cases were reported in Caldwell County — the highest number of cases recorded in a single day since the pandemic began.

Contact tracing for these cases is underway. Contact tracers ask patients who test positive for COVID-19 a series of questions to assess their condition and their needs. They also ask for names and phone numbers of anyone the patient has been in close contact with during the previous 14 days. These questions help determine connections between existing cases and help identify others who may have been exposed to the virus.

Some households have multiple cases, but no other commonalities were immediately detected. As contact tracing is completed, results will be examined to determine if common causes exist.

Seventeen cases were reported in the 28645 Zip code, four in the 28638, and two in the 28630. Three patients are under the age of 24, 17 are between 25 and 64, and three are over the age of 65. Six more people are now counted as recovered.

For local, accurate information about Coronavirus, visit www.caldwellcountync.org/coronavirus-covid-19 or call the Caldwell County Health Department Health Information Line at 828-426-8456 or the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 828-426-8605.

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NC House approves legislation to reopen bowling alleys, skate rinks, more

The North Carolina House of Representatives approved legislation allowing bowling alleys, skating rinks, as well as dining and beverage establishments at minor league baseball stadiums to safely operate in North Carolina.

House Speaker Tim Moore (R-Cleveland) noted that 45 states have already opened bowling alleys. More than half the skating rinks in the country have reopened.

Senate Bill 599 allows bowling alleys and skating rinks to operate under a prescribed 12-point plan.

The legislation would also allow minor league baseball stadiums with existing food and beverage establishments to temporarily provide outdoor food and drink for outdoor consumption with a seating capacity limited to 10 percent of the seating capacity of the stadium.

”Our family-owned small businesses are struggling as a result of the Governor’s inconsistent executive orders,” Moore said. “It is time to let the private sector lead with smart health and safety measures to begin our state’s economic recovery.”

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South Carolina reports nearly 600 new COVID-19 cases, 10 more deaths

DHEC announced 577 new confirmed cases, two new probable cases of COVID-19, and 10 additional confirmed deaths.

This brings the total number of people confirmed cases to 20,551, probable cases to 5, confirmed deaths to 617, and zero probable deaths.

Read more here.

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North Carolina sees record high COVID-19 hospitalizations for the fourth time in 7 days

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday reported another record high number of hospitalizations in the state, with 846 people currently in the hospital due to complications from COVID-19.

That’s up 17 from Tuesday and marks the fourth record-high in the last seven days.

With 86% of hospitals reporting, 21% of inpatient beds and 23% of ICU beds are still available. This means 3,885 inpatient beds and 496 ICU beds are empty.

1,002 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours. The number of cases being reported has declined each day since Friday’s large jump of 1,768 but Wednesday’s increase is higher than Tuesday’s case increase of 751.

16,001 tests were reported as completed in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of completed tests in North Carolina to 667,422. This is the highest day in testing since this past Saturday, where nearly 14,000 tests were reported.

14 more people in North Carolina died from COVID-19 in the past day, bringing the total number of deaths to 1,168 since the start of the pandemic.

NCDHHS is reporting an 8% positive test rate, which is lower end of percents seen through the week.

Lab-confirmed cases: 46,855

Completed tests: 667,422

Currently hospitalized: 846

Statewide deaths: 1,168

Confirmed cases by age:

0-17 (9%)

18-24 (11%)

25-49 (45%)

50-64 (20%)

65-74 (7%)

75 or older (7%)

COVID-19 deaths by age:

25-49 (5%)

50-64 (14%)

65-74 (20%)

75 or older (61%)

Cases by race:

White: 54%

Black: 26%

Cases by gender:

Women: 50%

Men: 50%

(Men account for 52% of deaths)

Cases and deaths in congregate living settings:

There are 108 outbreaks in nursing homes across the state, resulting in 4,069 cases and 605 deaths.

There are 61 outbreaks at residential care facilities across the state, resulting in 1,128 cases and 99 deaths.

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COVID Cases Increasing in Gaston County; Officials Urge Public to Stay Vigilant

Over the past two weeks, Gaston County and many counties across the state have seen significant increases in cases of COVID-19. While this was expected with the lifting of restrictions and additional testing, the sharp increase in positives, hospitalizations and the percentage of positives out of total tests have local health officials concerned.

Between May 30 and June 12, Gaston County saw a 312% increase in positive tests. During that same period, the percentage of positive tests out of total tests increased from 5.14% to 11.17%. Perhaps of most concern, the number of hospitalizations has increased from single digits in mid-May to more than 20 over the past week.

“We know this has been hard on our community, but we really need people to stay diligent right now,” shared Gaston County’s Public Health Director, Steve Eaton. “We are working as hard as we can to track cases and educate the community, but we need for the public to help us by staying home, especially if you’re sick, wearing masks in public, and practicing social distancing. We cannot do this alone.”

Total number of hospitalizations is a measure that is largely unaffected by an increase in testing and suggests that COVID-19 is spreading rapidly in the area.

“While we expected and prepared for an increase in hospitalized patients, the significant uptick in a matter of weeks is troubling,” said Dr. Todd Davis, Chief Medical Officer for CaroMont Health. “It is critically important that people take measures to protect themselves and help control the spread of this virus. It does not require that you change your entire life, it’s simply a matter of making choices that help minimize your risk of contracting COVID-19 and spreading to others.”

Those precautions include wearing a mask or face covering, waiting six feet apart to avoid close contact and washing hands.

“I know a lot of people don’t want to wear a mask,” said Dr. Davis. “But, it really is one of the most important things you can to do protect yourself and others.”

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Local McDonald’s worker tests positive for COVID-19

If you’ve eaten at McDonald’s in Cherryville, you may want to get a COVID-19 test.

Channel 9 has learned an employee there tested positive for the virus. The owner and operator of the restaurant on Church Street said he shut down and sanitized the store as soon as he found out.

Customers said it reopened hours later.

All employees who had contact with the worker have been quarantined for weeks. People who eat there regularly worry, the worker may have served them.

“I have small children that I come home to,” customer Ashley Baker said. “If I catch it, they’ll possibly catch it.”

The CDC doesn’t consider contact between restaurant workers and customers enough to warrant transmission. They define close contact as being within six feet for 15 minutes or more.

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Raleigh takes step toward requiring face masks

The Raleigh City Council unanimously passed a motion to allow the mayor to expand the city’s state of emergency to mandate the use of face coverings while in places where social distancing is not possible, WTVD reported.

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N.C. lawmakers push reopen bills, virus liability protection

North Carolina Republican legislators have advanced bills to allow more types of businesses shuttered under Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 executive order to reopen and to limit lawsuits by some who’ve contracted the virus.

The full House voted Tuesday to overturn Cooper’s orders that have kept bowling alleys and skating rinks closed.

The Democratic governor already has vetoed a bill allowing bars to reopen, saying such legislation is not the way to address COVID-19 business activity.

Another measure clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee would provide limited immunity to any business, government agency or nonprofit that takes reasonable steps to reduce transmission risks.

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WEDNESDAY MORNING STORYLINES

Republican lawmakers on Tuesday voted to overturn Governor Roy Cooper’s orders that have kept bowling alleys and skating rinks closed, allowing them to bring customers indoors up to 50 percent of their fire capacity. They would have to adhere to social distancing rules and sanitizing standards.

Another measure clearing the Senate Judiciary Committee would provide limited immunity to any business, government agency or nonprofit that takes reasonable steps to reduce transmission risks and lets patrons know about those actions.

The House legislation is the latest effort by GOP lawmakers to speed up the incremental process by which the Democratic governor has eased restrictions on commerce and mass gatherings since early May.

Cooper, who already vetoed one bill that would have let bars reopen for outdoor patrons, has said using legislation to open or close business makes it difficult for him and health officials to intervene during a coronavirus surge.

Another bill sitting on his desk seeks reopening for bars and gyms.

Rep. John Szoka, a Cumberland County Republican and sponsor of the bowling and skating measure, said local businesses in his community unable to open since March are facing permanent closures without relief.

“We should treat all businesses the same and we shouldn’t pick winners and losers,” Szoka said on the House floor before the measure received tentative approval by a vote of 68-52. “Our small entrepreneurs are good companies too, and they’re equally capable of handing COVID-19 safety precautions.”

As with the bill covering gyms, the latest measure for rinks and alleys would permit Cooper to close them again during a spike in cases, but only with the support of a majority of members on the Council of State. After one more affirmative House vote, the bill would go to the Senate. The House voting margin signals that any Cooper veto could be upheld.

House Democrats said it was the wrong time to reopen businesses unilaterally given the recent upticks in cases in North Carolina.

“No one in this chamber wants to see our economy wrecked,” said Rep. Amos Quick, a Guilford County Democrat, but “we have to stop the spread of this virus, and opening more and more is not stopping the spread.”

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