NC coronavirus cases exceed 1,000 for fifth time in a week; hospitalizations increase again
For the fifth time in seven days, North Carolina has seen its coronavirus case count exceed 1,000 cases.
On Thursday, the state’s department of health and human services reported 1,310 new cases of COVID-19, the second most cases ever reported. The one-day record is 1,370 cases, which was reported last Saturday.
That brings the state’s total to 39,481 positive cases. DHHS reported 1,064 deaths, 11 more deaths than were reported Wednesday. It also reported 812 hospitalizations, 32 more than Wednesday.
NC DHHS secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said Wednesday that she continues to be concerned about the increase in people hospitalized.
Hospitalizations is one metric state public health officials use to track the course of the coronavirus outbreak over time. It is also one of four metrics officials are using to look at whether they can move forward with easing restrictions. North Carolina has been in Phase Two of easing restrictions since May 22.
Phase Two runs through at least June 26.
Positive laboratory confirmed cases is another metric. Those numbers continue to increase as well.
Some increases in case counts can be attributed to an increase in testing.
More than 572,600 people have been tested for COVID-19 in North Carolina, which is about 19,000 more than Wednesday. The percentage of people who tested positive were 9%.
On Wednesday, Cohen, said the state has tripled its one-day testing goal, and it wants to continue those trends by testing more people, especially people in historically marginalized communities, who have been hardest hit by COVID-19.
Black people make up 27 percent of all positive cases, and 34 percent of all COVID-19 related deaths in North Carolina. However, they make up only 22 percent of the state’s population.
This story was originally published June 11, 2020 at 12:51 PM with the headline "NC coronavirus cases exceed 1,000 for fifth time in a week; hospitalizations increase again."
