Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 13
We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 42,000
At least 42,844 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,127 have died, according to state and county health departments.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Saturday reported an additional 1,428 cases of the virus. Saturday marked the sixth time in eight days the state’s new case count exceeded 1,000.
Another 15,993 coronavirus tests were performed for a total of 611,690, and the percentage of those with positive results remained at 10%.
The state hit a record high for hospitalizations Saturday, growing by 63 for a total 823. A previous high of 812 was reported on Thursday.
NC hits its first peak
The percentage of positive cases continuing to climb puts North Carolina in the midst of its “first wave” — or peak, N.C. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen said Friday.
Cohen said the positive coronavirus test rate is “among the highest in the country,” The News & Observer reported, and it correlates with when the state started to reopen on May 8.
“This isn’t a second wave. This for us is a first,” Cohen said. “I think this is our first experience at an increase. It reminds us that this virus is here, and we have to live with this virus, because we don’t have a vaccine. We don’t have a cure.”
Judge rules against Butner inmates
A group of inmates at Butner lost a legal bid to free prisoners vulnerable to COVID-19 on Friday when a federal judge ruled against them.
U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan said they failed to prove prison officials had treated them with “deliberate indifference” when considering the threat of the coronavirus.
“The court agrees with petitioners that the public interest is served by preventing unnecessary illness and death and slowing the spread of the virus,” Flanagan said in her decision. “Respondents, however, have made reasonable efforts to achieve those goals.”
Hospitalizations drop after record high
At least 760 coronavirus patients were in North Carolina hospitals on Friday, down from 812 the day before, according to state officials.
The drop ends a four-day streak of record-breaking COVID-19 hospitalizations in the state, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
This week’s first jump in daily hospitalizations was reported Monday, when the total was 739.
Charlotte to host RNC for one day
Committee leaders on Thursday said the Republican National Convention will be held in North Carolina for one day before it heads out of the state.
About 336 delegates are scheduled to meet in Charlotte on Aug. 24 before they join a larger group in Jacksonville, Florida. The Queen City previously expected to host the four-day GOP convention, which would draw 50,000 people.
President Donald Trump last week said he would move the event from North Carolina. The announcement came after Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said he couldn’t guarantee a full crowd in the Spectrum Center due to risks of spreading COVID-19.
This story was originally published June 13, 2020 at 8:39 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 13."