COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations and vaccinations in NC
Note: Data published on this page is current as of February 28, 2022. This page will not be updated after that date. For current and future information on COVID-19, please go to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services dashboard.
The first case of COVID-19 in North Carolina was reported on March 3, 2020. The maps and charts below track the number of cases and deaths reported daily by the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow and why we collect and report the data
Since March 3, when the first positive COVID-19 case was identified in Wake County, The News & Observer has been tracking the number of lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus reported by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
As the state has provided more information on coronavirus testing, case counts, deaths and hospitalizations, we have compiled, analyzed and provided that information to our readers.
For more than three months, the N&O also tracked cases and deaths reported by the health departments for the state’s 100 counties. As cases and deaths have continued to rise, the differences between the state and county data have become less significant, and we now rely on the DHHS-released numbers of cases and deaths in our tracking. We continue to analyze trends in county data and report on information provided only by counties, such as the location of outbreaks.
Read more by clicking the arrow in the upper right.
Why do our numbers often differ slightly from the DHHS count?
DHHS updates their online dashboard once daily around 11am.
Throughout each day, we search individual county health departments’ websites, press releases and social media pages for the most current information on lab-confirmed case counts, along with any other information counties may provide regarding COVID-19 cases that are either not reported to the state or that the state does not release.
We’ve compiled a list of online sources where counties generally update their own daily case information. We check this list several times a day. We also use Crowdtangle, a social media discovery tool, to find, record and release the most current and relevant case information on our website.
Why aren’t you including the numbers of people who have recovered?
DHHS does not currently provide the number of people who have recovered from the virus. Some county health departments, however, do provide that number, but because the reporting is inconsistent and it’s not clear how recovery is being tracked in each location, we have not yet started tracking that information.
Why don’t you include the demographics of those diagnosed?
While DHHS does provide the number of cases by race and ethnicity, for about one-third of those cases the race is unknown. For almost half of the cases, the ethnicity is unknown. Since it is currently unclear which cases are being excluded from the data or why there is no information available, we have chosen not to display that information at this point.
This story was originally published March 16, 2020 at 2:30 PM with the headline "COVID-19 cases, deaths, hospitalizations and vaccinations in NC."