NC COVID-19 Deaths Pass 1K Mark, As Cases, Hospitalizations Rise

NORTH CAROLINA — Coronavirus is responsible for 10 new deaths in North Carolina since Sunday, pushing the state past a grim milestone of more than 1,000 dead from the virus, according to data released by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

As of Monday, 1,006 people in North Carolina had died from illnesses related to the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19.

The news comes as state labs confirmed 938 new cases of COVID-19 since Sunday. As of June 8, there were 739 COVID-19 patients in hospitals around the state, 43 more than recorded the day before.

All total, there have been 36,484 confirmed cases of COVID-19 recorded in North Carolina, more than 3,200 of which have been confirmed since Friday. On Saturday, 1,370 of those COVID-19 cases were confirmed, representing the highest one day increase yet in the state and increasing the rate of positive tests to 10 percent, NCDHHS said.

“These are very concerning numbers," NCDHHS Secretary Mandy Cohen said in a statement. "We must protect our loved ones and neighbors by working together. It begins with the three Ws – wearing a face covering, waiting six feet apart and washing hands frequently. It doesn’t stop there. Testing and knowing who has been exposed so they can have the resources and support they need are our tools for slowing the spread of this virus.”

The most recent batch of data is a result of state labs processing more than 8,000 tests, increasing the total number of tests processed in the state to more than 520,000. As public health officials continue the push to expand and increase access to testing, so too will the number of confirmed cases confirmed in the state, they say.

COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities, such as nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional facilities included 6,114 confirmed cases Monday, or about 17 percent of the total cases in the state, according to DHHS data.

As of Monday, 96 of the state's 409 nursing home facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak. State health officials also reported outbreaks at 49 residential care facilities and 19 correctional facilities. Nearly 86 percent of the deaths from COVID-19 in North Carolina have occurred in such a facility, according to NCDHHS data.

NCDHHS on Friday reported the first coronavirus-associated pediatric death in North Carolina. A child in the central part of the state died June 1 from complications associated with COVID-19 infection.

State health experts are concerned the disease could spread since people gathered in racial justice protests around the state. Protesters should consider getting a novel coronavirus test, according to the state's top public health official.

As of Monday morning, the total number of North Carolina coronavirus cases stood at 36,484, up from 35,546 on Sunday.

State public health officials launched a new online tool last week that can be used to determine if someone should consider COVID-19 testing, and if so, where they can go for a test. The site also helps monitor symptoms for those who have tested positive or possibly been exposed to the virus.

Says NC DHHS, new online tools include:

• Check My Symptoms, a public website that allows people to enter their symptoms to determine if they should consider getting tested for COVID-19. If a test is recommended, they will receive a link to a list of nearby testing sites via email or text.
• Find My Testing Place, a public website that allows people to enter their county or ZIP code and access a list of nearby testing site locations online.
• COVID-19 Community Team Outreach (CCTO) Tool, a password-protected online software that helps people track their own symptoms if they have been advised to do so by the COVID-19 Community Team. The tool is also a platform that helps streamline and integrate contact tracing work across the state.

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