Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on April 11
We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
More than 4,000 cases
North Carolina has at least 4,355 reported cases of coronavirus as of midday Saturday, and 85 people have died, according to state and county records.
More than 240 new cases were reported Friday.
Mecklenburg County has 913 reported cases and 12 deaths, the most in the state. Guilford County has the second-highest number of deaths, with nine.
The Triangle has seen fewer deaths, with none reported in Wake County. Durham and Orange counties each have one reported death, and Johnston County has four.
At least 423 people across North Carolina were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Friday, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
4th death reported at nursing home
A fourth resident at a Triangle nursing home has died from COVID-19, Orange County officials said Saturday. The four were residents at PruittHealth-Carolina Point in Durham, where 66 residents and 20 staff members have tested positive for the virus, The News and Observer reports.
“The other two nursing home residents who died lived in other counties before coming to the facility. The three earlier deaths occurred on April 3, April 4 and April 8,” according to the N&O.
Mecklenburg warns of unapproved tests
Mecklenburg County says a new rapid test for the coronavirus being used in the area is not approved by the Food and Drug Adminsitration and may not be accurate, The Charlotte Observer reports.
In a statement, Public Health Director Gibbie Harris said, “It has a very low sensitivity early in the illness, which means a higher likelihood of a false negative result.” She warned the unapproved tests could make it more likely that infected people won’t know their true status and pass the virus on to others.
Harris did not single out health care providers offering the rapid tests, but one urgent care clinic in Charlotte got some attention this week for advertising a 5-minute test that was not approved by the FDA.
Unemployment
A staggering one-tenth of the workforce in North Carolina has applied for unemployment benefits in the past three weeks.
About 510,000 people have filed jobless claims since mid-March, but that number doesn’t “reflect all the state’s job losses — just the number of people who have filed for unemployment,” The News & Observer reports.
Transgender students
Transgender students in North Carolina say they are worried about their privacy and safety as public schools switch to online teaching.
Public schools across the state use a version of the PowerSchool system that lists each student’s legal name and gender.
More than 300 students, educators and parents sent a letter to the state schools superintendent urging schools to update the system to allow transgender students to list their preferred name and gender.
Nursing home outbreak
Four residents at nursing home in Mecklenburg County were diagnosed with COVID-19, health officials said Friday.
The outbreak is at the Pavilion Health Center in Ballantyne. Two of the residents reportedly showed mild symptoms, and two did not experience symptoms at all.
At least 29 nursing homes and residential care facilities in North Carolina have seen coronavirus outbreaks, according to the state.
This story was originally published April 11, 2020 at 7:40 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on April 11."
