NC reports third straight day of record hospitalizations as US tops 3M cases

CHARLOTTE — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reported today that 994 people are currently hospitalized with the novel coronavirus, an increase of five people from Tuesday.

That total set a record-high in the state for the third consecutive day.

The state reported 1,435 new COVID-19 cases and 25,392 tests on Wednesday, a decrease in testing from the past week, but well above the state’s goal to test between 5,000 and 7,000 people daily.

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According to the state’s calculations, the most recent day of testing returned 10% of all tests as positive cases. NCDHHS Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen has previously said she would like to see that number drop to 5%.

To date, the state has seen 77,310 lab-confirmed cases and 1,441 deaths (an increase of 21 from Tuesday). There have now been 1,096,682 completed tests in the state.

20% of ICU beds and 24% of regular hospital beds are available.

Johns Hopkins University confirmed there have been 3 million COVID-19 cases in the U.S.

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WEDNESDAY STORYLINES:

Charlotte’s fight against COVID-19 will get national attention as a team from the CDC will arrive Wednesday to help. The team will analyze how Mecklenburg County’s contact tracing is working, whether it is effective and how to help streamline the process.

The CDC visit is one of three federal agencies to visit the Charlotte area, all aimed at help get the infection rate under control.

There is some good news for people who need to get tested for COVID-19 -- they can now do so without a doctor’s referral. It is part of a new standing order. It is designed to increase access to testing in under-served communities. It also allows testing sites to get results directly from laboratories.

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North Carolinians will no longer need to get an order from their doctor to receive a coronavirus test. The state announced the change Tuesday in a move to boost testing in minority communities that are being disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

ReOpen NC, a group that advocated for the state to reopen businesses amid the pandemic, is calling for Gov. Roy Cooper to be impeached. The group is holding a rally Wednesday morning at 8:30 in downtown Raleigh.

The state’s top health official, Mandy Cohen, warned that North Carolina lacks the chemical reagents it needs to conduct tests faster. This has caused the state to see delays of up to a week for residents to get back their COVID test results. North Carolina on Tuesday recorded its highest day of current coronavirus-related hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.

A judge has ruled that dozens of North Carolina bowling alleys closed since March under Gov. Roy Cooper’s COVID-19 order can reopen provided they meet sanitizing and social distancing rules. Judge James Gale granted a preliminary injunction Tuesday that would apply to 75 North Carolina establishments within a three-state industry association.

The North Carolina House addressed some COVID-19-related business left behind from two weeks ago on face mask use and alcohol beverage permit fees. The chamber voted overwhelmingly Tuesday for several bills as part of a return to Raleigh for the General Assembly this week.

The Senate also will take up business Wednesday, when the legislature is likely to attempt override votes on several of Gov. Roy Cooper’s recent vetoes before going home until September. One bill that cleared the House but still needs Senate support would make permanent a health exception to the state’s face mask ban that expires Aug. 1.

Carolinas monitoring stockpiles of personal protective equipment as pandemic continues

There’s another national shortage of personal protective equipment and Channel 9 is tracking how resources look in the Carolinas.

In North Carolina, the state is getting requests for over 23,000 medical grade, or procedural masks, per day.

At that rate, the state has about 180 days worth in the stockpile.

For the special N-95 respirators, often used as surgical masks, North Carolina is in good shape.

The state is stocked up with enough for well over a year.

South Carolina reports those figures a bit differently. In terms of its supply on hand, the state is much better off than a few months ago.

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For both procedural masks and N-95 respirators, South Carolina has 1.5 million each in the state stockpile.

Early on in the pandemic, there was such a shortage of masks the CDC asked the public not to use them for that reason and others. Over the last four months, health officials have said even cloth face coverings are effective.

There may still be shortages of masks and other protective gear.

A prominent nurse’s union is still reporting national shortages on gowns, hair covers, shoe covers, masks and N-95 respirators.

A group that represents major stores like Target and Home Depot is asking for a nationwide mask requirement.

In a letter to the National Governors Association, the Retail Industry Leaders Association asked for a nationwide face mask requirement. It said there are too many different rules, which have confused shoppers.

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