NC’s COVID hospitalizations fall below 1,000 for first time since early October
North Carolina reported 976 hospitalizations statewide due to COVID-19 Monday, the first time that fewer than 1,000 have been reported since Oct. 6.
Hospitalizations have decreased rapidly since the pandemic high of 3,990 that was reported in mid-January.
Since the state Department of Health and Human Services last updated the state’s COVID metrics on Saturday, there have been 3,503 new cases reported.
Earlier in March, DHHS stopped updating the state’s COVID numbers on Sundays.
Over the last week, the state has reported an average of 1,616 new cases per day.
That’s up from Saturday’s seven-day average of 1,506, but overall the average has decreased by more than 7,000 since it peaked in mid-January.
Among test results reported on Friday and Saturday, the latest days with available data, 4.3% and 5.2% came back positive respectively.
Over the last week of available data, an average of 4.5% have been positive per day.
State health officials want that rate at 5% or less. Saturday’s average marks the eighth straight day the state has met or done better than that threshold.
COVID-19 data of the day
Case and hospitalization data reported by DHHS are preliminary and subject to change upon further investigation. Here are additional statistics reported Monday, with changes from Saturday*:
- Total cases: 886,218 (3,503)
- Deaths: 11,709 (+18)
- Tests: 10,808,147 (+85,089)
- People hospitalized: 976 (-52)
- COVID-19 adult ICU patients: 262 (-9)
- Available ICU beds: 614 (+12)
- Available inpatient beds: 6,152 (+321)
- Patients on ventilators: 866 (-48)
Inpatient and ICU beds are not all used by COVID-19 patients, according to DHHS.
Deaths do not all occur on the date they are reported. DHHS updates its numbers as information becomes available. For example, according to the latest DHHS data, the deadliest day of the pandemic was Jan. 15 when 123 people died.
*On March 6, DHHS began updating statewide COVID-19 metrics Monday through Saturday. Previously the state would update on Sunday as well. Therefore, totals reported on Monday are changes since the previous Saturday.
Vaccine statistics reported Monday:
- First doses arrived: 1,918,820
- First doses administered: 1,919,988 (>100%)**
- Second doses arrived: 1,213,775
- Second doses administered: 1,130,223 (93%)
- Single shot doses arrived: 83,700
- Single shot doses administered: 56,197 (67%)
**The doses administered can exceed doses arrived because hospitals and other health care providers have learned that they can get an extra dose from each vial of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine.
Vaccine doses administered in North Carolina through the federal, long-term care program:
- First doses arrived: 145,900
- First doses administered: 127,281 (87%)
- Second doses arrived: 145,900
- Second doses administered: 101,674 (70%)
Overall vaccine statistics:
- Total doses administered: 3,335,363
- Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,288,094
- Percent of population partially vaccinated: 19.5%
- Percent of population fully vaccinated: 12.3%
Breakdown of those vaccinated by race vs. percentage of total population:
- American Indian or Alaskan Native: 0.7% (1.7%)
- Asian or Pacific Islander: 2.6% (3.5%)
- Black or African-American: 14.6% (23.1%)
- White: 77.9% (71.7%)
By ethnicity:
- Hispanic: 2.7% (9.8%)
- Non-Hispanic: 96.6% (90.2%)
This story was originally published March 15, 2021 at 1:01 PM with the headline "NC’s COVID hospitalizations fall below 1,000 for first time since early October."