One Triangle county sees over 4,000 new cases in two weeks, as NC battles delta variant
As North Carolina sees rising COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations amid the spreading coronavirus delta variant, one Triangle county reported over 4,000 new cases of the virus in the past two weeks.
Wake County, the largest county by population in the state, saw 4,113 new cases over a 14-day period ending Friday. That’s 370 new cases per 100,000 residents.
While the raw number of new cases in Wake was among the highest of any county in the state, the relative transmission rates of others were even higher. In neighboring Johnston and Harnett counties, new cases shot to over 400 per 100,000 residents. Lee County saw 547 new cases per 100,000 residents in the past two weeks.
The new figures come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that nearly every county in North Carolina, including all of the Triangle, is experiencing substantial or high spread of the virus.
Since early July, hospitalizations in North Carolina have more than quadrupled, and as of Friday the state had seen two straight days of over 4,000 new cases.
Several counties and cities around the region have implemented mask mandates in public buildings. In a few cases, those mandates apply to every indoor setting.
With the virus seeing a resurgence in parts of the state, here’s a look at the local data for Wake, Durham and Orange counties.
New cases, COVID data in Wake
Since the pandemic began last year, Wake County has seen a total of 95,228 cases of COVID-19. In that time, 752 people in the county have died from the virus.
As of Wednesday, the most recent data available, an average of 7.5% of tests in the county were returning positive. That’s higher than the 5% target state health officials have said is needed to curb the spread of the virus.
Vaccination rates in Wake are higher than those of the state as a whole. In the county, 62% of people are at least partially vaccinated against the virus, while 59% are fully vaccinated.
Across North Carolina, 51% have had at least one shot and 47% are fully vaccinated.
There were three reported outbreaks and eight clusters in Wake as of Thursday.
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services defines an outbreak as two or more positive tests among staff or residents in a congregate living setting. A cluster is defined as five or more confirmed cases in a child care or school setting that can be plausibly linked together within a 14-day period.
Two of three outbreaks were occurring in residential care facilities, while the last was in a nursing home. Five K-12 schools and three child care facilities were experiencing clusters in Wake.
And on Wednesday, health care workers rallied in downtown Raleigh against hospitals requiring their employees to get vaccinated, The News & Observer reported.
UNC Healthcare and Duke Health confirmed that vaccination requirements for employees will go into effect, with some medical and religious exemptions.
Despite some breakthrough cases, vaccines have remained effective at preventing serious illness from the virus and lowering transmission rates. In July, DHHS said more than 94% of new cases were among those who had not been vaccinated.
As of Aug. 2, roughly 0.004% of the 164 million people who had been vaccinated in the U.S. were hospitalized due to breakthrough cases of the virus, according to CDC data. Fewer than 0.001% of those who were vaccinated had died due to breakthrough cases.
New cases, COVID data in Durham
Durham County has seen a total of 26,811 cases of COVID-19 and 241 related deaths across the pandemic. Of those, 671 new cases occurred in the past two weeks. That’s 209 new cases per 100,000 residents.
As of Wednesday, an average of 5.1% of tests in the county were returning positive.
In the county, 61% of people are at least partially vaccinated against the virus, while 57% are fully vaccinated.
Durham had reported five outbreaks and one cluster as of Thursday. Three of the outbreaks were in nursing homes, while one was in a correctional facility and the other was in a public housing facility.
Durham’s sole cluster was occurring in a child care facility.
On Saturday, Durham County and city officials declared a new state of emergence, requiring everyone to wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status. With a few exemptions, the mandate will apply to everyone age 5 or older.
The mandate begins Monday evening, and will see Durham join other parts of the state in enacting mask requirements in all indoor settings.
Other parts of the Triangle, including Wake and Orange, have enacted their own, more limited face covering requirements, The News & Observer reported.
New cases, COVID data in Orange
Orange County has seen a total of 8,961 cases of COVID-19 and 101 related deaths across the pandemic. Of those, 254 new cases occurred in the past two weeks. That’s 171 new cases per 100,000 residents.
As of Wednesday, an average of 4.7% of tests in the county were returning positive.
In the county, 79% of people are at least partially vaccinated against the virus, while 76% are fully vaccinated.
Orange County had only one outbreak occurring in a nursing home as of Thursday.
This story was originally published August 8, 2021 at 2:11 PM with the headline "One Triangle county sees over 4,000 new cases in two weeks, as NC battles delta variant."