Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 15
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We’re keeping track of the most up-to-date news about the coronavirus in North Carolina. Check back for updates.
Cases top 45,000
At least 45,113 people in North Carolina have tested positive for the coronavirus and 1,140 have died, according to state and county health officials.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services on Monday reported an additional 983 cases of the virus, down from 1,443 reported the day before. Sunday had the second-highest reported number of single-day cases since the start of the pandemic.
The state was averaging about 1,200 daily cases over the last seven days as of Monday.
At least 797 North Carolinians were hospitalized with the coronavirus as of Monday, compared to 798 reported the day before.
Health officials on Monday reported completing about 11,300 additional coronavirus tests for a total of 638,479 tests administered since March. About 9% have come back positive.
“The percent positive rate cannot be calculated by simply dividing the number of cases by the number of completed tests, mainly due to the timing of when tests are administered and when and how test results are submitted to the state from labs,” The News & Observer reported.
Help with testing
Gov. Roy Cooper said during a press conference Monday he spoke with Vice President Mike Pence about the state’s need for more testing as coronavirus cases climb.
The governor said he spoke with Pence about increasing testing, especially in the counties with the highest growth in cases — Alamance, Duplin, Durham, Forsyth, Guilford, Johnston, Lee, Mecklenburg and Wake. He also said the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is “pushing assistance” to those counties and other local health departments.
Cooper said the state is also monitoring hospital bed capacities. While there are enough beds now, that can quickly change, he said.
Cases have been increasing in North Carolina since mid-May as the state reopens and more crowds gather at protests, racetracks and other events, which Cooper says has worried health experts.
He said he’ll announce next week if the state can continue loosening restrictions.
“We believe we can get a handle on this,” he said during the news conference. “Let’s pull together so we can continue to move forward in easing restrictions.”
Outbreaks at meat-packing plants
An analysis of ZIP code data shows coronavirus cases and rates of infection have gone up higher in parts of North Carolina where there are major outbreaks at meat- and poultry-packing plants.
Near processing plants, cases in 13 ZIP codes jumped almost 600% on average from May 1 to June 11, compared to 262% statewide. The ZIP codes are in Burke, Chatham, Duplin, Lee, Robeson, Wayne and Wilkes counties, The News & Observer reported Monday.
The rate of infection per 10,000 residents in those areas tops Durham, Mecklenburg, and Wake counties, which all have higher populations and more overall cases.
Statewide, more than 2,000 plant workers have tested positive for COVID-19, and the disease could spread if workers live in other ZIP codes or counties. Other outbreaks in the state have been linked to construction sites and group living facilities, such as prisons and nursing homes.
“All processing plants in the state continue to operate, though some have closed temporarily for cleaning after outbreaks,” The News & Observer reported.
More prison inmates die
Two more inmates at a federal prison in North Carolina died this weekend after getting the coronavirus, bringing the total to 11.
The two men had underlying conditions and were in the Federal Correctional Complex at Butner’s “low-security prison, which has the largest coronavirus outbreak in the federal prison system,” according to The News & Observer.
The facility earlier this month started testing every inmate in the low-security prison after there were six coronavirus-related deaths in an eight-day period.
Earlier this month, a Butner correctional officer also died after getting a COVID-19 infection. The prison as of Monday had 657 active cases of the coronavirus among inmates and staff members.
Last week, a federal judge rejected a proposal “ from a group of Butner inmates that the prison complex immediately release inmates vulnerable to COVID-19,“ The News & Observer reported.
New high reported over weekend
Hospitalizations reached a new high in North Carolina again over the weekend.
On Saturday, 823 hospitalizations were reported — an all-time high since the start of the pandemic. It surpassed the previous high of 812 reported Thursday, which was the fourth consecutive day in which daily hospitalizations reached a new peak.
The number of hospitalizations dropped to 798 on Sunday, when it is typical for the count to drop, along with the percentage of hospitals reporting. On Sunday, 76% of hospitals reported, down 8 percentage points from the day before.
Lack of social distancing worries health officials
Health officials say they are concerned that fewer people are wearing masks, avoiding large gatherings and practicing social distancing.
In Mecklenburg County, health director Gibbie Harris said the Charlotte area could see a surge in coronavirus cases in August and September. Officials predict Mecklenburg’s social distancing levels will soon revert back to pre-pandemic levels, The Charlotte Observer reported.
In Raleigh’s Glenwood South neighborhood over the weekend, many people went to restaurants and bars without wearing masks, The News & Observer reported.
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin spoke out on Twitter in response to a WRAL video showing the crowds: “I have alerted Glenwood South businesses this will not be tolerated.”
This story was originally published June 15, 2020 at 7:04 AM with the headline "Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in North Carolina on June 15."
