COLUMBIA, S.C. — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported 1,625 new cases. The state has been reporting a daily increase of at least a thousand new cases for over a month. The trend began on June 24.
According to data released by the NCDHHS, the 7-day average of new COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and percentage of positive tests in North Carolina is relatively flat.
22,091 tests were completed in the last 24 hours, according to NCDHHS.
The percent of positive from those tests is at 8% in the state.
>> Have questions about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the Carolinas? We have an entire section dedicated to coverage of the outbreak -- CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
1,169 people are currently hospitalized due to complications from COVID-19.
5 additional deaths were reported, bringing the total to 1,790.
North Carolina continues to move up in the ranking of testing per population. The state is now 21st in the country, up from 23rd last week.
North Carolina is conducting 145,277 COVID-19 tests per 1 million residents -- about 20,000 more per 1 million than last week.
Note: The numbers we show you every day mean everything in how our community recovers from coronavirus -- both in terms of healthcare and the economy -- but they don’t mean much without the proper context and as much transparency as possible.
New cases vary day by day based on a lot of factors. That can include how long it takes to get results back, so a new case reported today can really be several days old.
The other big metric we watch is the percent of positive cases. This is data we can only get from the state because it’s not as simple as factoring a percent of new cases each day from the number of tests. That’s because test results take days and come from a variety of places.
WHAT ABOUT CLOSER TO HOME?
As of Monday afternoon, there were 19,480 cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) with 184 deaths due to COVID-19 reported among Mecklenburg County residents. Data from Wednesday, July 22 are presented below.
As of July 22, 2020, there were 17,859 cases and 186 deaths due to COVID-19 among county residents reported to Mecklenburg County Public Health (MCPH).
Highlights about the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County as of July 22, 2020 include:
- About 3 in 4 reported cases were adults ages 20 to 59 years old.
- About a third of reported cases are Hispanic – most of whom are younger adults. The high number of reported cases among young Hispanics remains a significant concern. As previously noted, some factors influencing this trend include:
- Targeted testing occurring in neighborhoods with lower access to care, some of which have larger Hispanic populations;
- Higher proportions of Hispanics working in essential jobs that make social distancing difficult;
- Significant household spread among large families; and
- Pre-existing disparities in other social and economic determinants of health, like poverty.
MCPH continues to expand outreach to Hispanic members of our community, including increased dissemination of the outreach toolkit in Spanish for community partners, setting up targeted outreach to Hispanic-owned and -serving businesses, and partnering with local organizations and media outlets to spread key prevention messages.
- About 1 in 20 reported cases were hospitalized due to their COVID-19 infection. While everyone is at risk for severe COVID-19 complications, reported cases who were older adults (≥ 60 years) were more likely to be hospitalized compared to younger individuals. As testing has become more widely available and more individuals with mild or no symptoms are being diagnosed, the hospitalization rate among reported cases is expected to decline.
- About half of the cases have met CDC criteria to be released from isolation.
- During the past week, an average of 197 individuals with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infections were hospitalized at acute care facilities in Mecklenburg County. This represents a slight increase over the last 14 days. These data are based on daily census counts from acute care facilities in Mecklenburg County reporting to MCPH.
- During the past week, an average of 10.9 percent of individuals who were tested were positive for COVID-19. This represents a stable trend over the last 14 days. These data only include tests conducted by Atrium Health, Novant Health, and CVS Health as available. Reporting of negative results to MCPH is not required or covered by communicable disease reporting laws. MCPH will include results from other providers and laboratories as accurate, consistent and timely reporting mechanisms are established.
- One hundred-eighty-six deaths due to COVID-19 occurred among reported cases.
- Almost all deaths were among older adults (≥ 60 years), 3 deaths occurred in adults ages 20 to 39 and 24 deaths were adults ages 40 to 59.
- All deaths, except three, occurred among adults with underlying chronic illnesses.
- More than half were non-Hispanic Whites. The disparity in COVID-19 deaths among non-Hispanic Whites is related to differences in race/ethnicity of residents of long-term care (LTC) facilities actively experiencing an outbreak.
- More than half of the deaths were connected to active outbreaks at long-term care (LTC) facilities.
- Based on publicly available mobility tracking data, social distancing slightly increased then slightly decreased in Mecklenburg County over the last 14 days. Overall, this represents a fairly stable trend over the last 14 days.
MONDAY STORYLINES:
North Carolina health leaders recommend tests for people who may not have symptoms of COVID-19, but could have been exposed. Rowan County is offering free testing Monday at West End Plaza, which is off Jake Alexander Boulevard West in Salisbury.
You can show up between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
>> Have questions about the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on the Carolinas? We have an entire section dedicated to coverage of the outbreak -- CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
South Carolina teachers are descending on the state capital with one message in mind -- “Virtual until safe.” It is a mantra educators want Gov. Henry McMaster to hear loud and clear as they get ready to rally Monday afternoon.
The statewide rally will start at 2 p.m. Monday in Columbia. Teachers plan to drive decorated cars through downtown, making a stop at the governor’s mansion before ending at the statehouse.
President Trump will be in Morrisville, North Carolina Monday to visit a company that is working to distribute a COVID-19 vaccine when one is approved. He is expected to speak about the team work between the administration and the private sector to develop a vaccine.
>> Channel 9′s government reporter Joe Bruno will be there with President Trump. Look for his LIVE coverage, starting at 5 p.m. on Eyewitness News.
COVID-19 cases cross 80,000 in South Carolina
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Carolina pushed past 80,000 Sunday.
The increase of 1,412 is the fewest new cases in more than two weeks, according to numbers released by the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
The number of new deaths confirmed from the respiratory illness rose by 25 to 1,436. Of 7,500 total tests reported Sunday, 15.6% were positive. That’s lower than in recent days, but South Carolina still has one of the highest positivity rates among states.
The high rate may indicate the state isn’t testing enough to control the virus. Department officials said they don’t have an accurate count of how many people are hospitalized because of the transition from the former tracking system.
Cox Media Group
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