Health & Fitness
12 COVID-19 Deaths In NC Following Holiday Weekend Surge In Cases
More than 2,500 cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in NC during the long holiday weekend as the state began easing restrictions.
CHARLOTTE, NC— The coronavirus death toll in North Carolina rose by 12 deaths Tuesday, as state public health officials reported 176 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout the state. The increases come as North Carolina confirmed a total of 2,522 new COVID-19 cases and 38 deaths recorded in the state since May 22 — the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend and the day the state began to officially ease restrictions meant to slow the spread of the virus.
North Carolina began Phase 2 of easing restrictions Friday at 5 p.m.
Despite the move to reopen most businesses and restaurants with capacity limitations, the move drew political ire for not going far enough. Monday, President Donald Trump threatened to move the Republican National Convention, scheduled to take place in Charlotte in August, if Gov. Roy Cooper couldn't guarantee "full attendance" at the convention.
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Meanwhile, ReopenNC, a group protesting government restrictions to prevent spread of the coronavirus, held Memorial Day protests in Raleigh, Greensboro, Charlotte, Asheville, and Wilmington. The group, which started on Facebook in early April, now has nearly 80,000 members.
On Friday, the husband of one of the group's founders used a Facebook video to threaten violence in support of their cause.
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"Are we willing to kill people? Are we willing to lay our lives down? We have to say yes," said Adam Smith, husband of ReOpen co-founder Ashley Smith. He later said in the same video that "if you bring guns, we're going to bring guns." The video was deleted after Raw Story reported on it.
A total of 621 people were hospitalized for coronavirus-related illness as of Tuesday, down six patients from Monday. As of Tuesday morning, 766 people in North Carolina have lost their lives due to coronavirus-related illness.
The state collected results from 7,641 tests Monday, which increased the total number of tests processed in the state to more than 352,000. The state's goal is to test between 5,000 and 7,000 people per day and state public health officials say increases in the number of confirmed cases are expected as testing ramps up throughout North Carolina.
COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities, such as nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional facilities included 4,859 confirmed cases Tuesday, or about 20 percent of the total cases confirmed in the state, according to NC DHHS data.
As of Tuesday, 83 of the state's 409 nursing home facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak. State health officials also reported outbreaks at 36 residential care facilities and 18 correctional facilities. At least 406 nursing home residents, 57 residential care facility residents and 15 inmates in North Carolina have died from coronavirus-related illness.
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Hospitalizations dipped slightly overnight to 621 with coronavirus-related illness, six fewer than reported Monday. As of May 25, an estimated 14,954 residents who were confirmed to have the coronavirus are considered likely recovered, NC DHHS said.
According to the state agency, a survey of about 78 percent of the state's hospitals shows that 24 percent of North Carolina's ventilators are currently in use.
About 81 percent of the state's intensive care beds and 71 percent of inpatient hospital beds listed as in use Tuesday.
Mecklenburg County, the hardest hit county in the state, reported 3,403 confirmed cases Tuesday, up 449 from Friday. The county has also reported 73 COVID-19 deaths.
In the Research Triangle, Wake County reported 1,478 confirmed cases, up 89 since Friday, and 34 deaths as of Tuesday. Durham County reported 1,333 confirmed cases, up 171 since Friday, and 43 deaths.
Globally, more than 5.5 million have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 347,000 people have lost their lives, Johns Hopkins University reported Tuesday afternoon. In the U.S., more than 1.6 million people have been infected and at least 98,371 people have died from COVID-19.
Jim Massara, Patch Staff, contributed
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