32 New COVID-19 Deaths In NC As Case Count Grows By More than 1K

CHARLOTTE, NC — At least 1,076 cases of new coronavirus were confirmed Friday, increasing the state's total to 26,488 cases, as health officials continue to expand testing around the state. The number of coronavirus-related deaths increased to 859 after 32 people lost their lives to the illness since Thursday, according to North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

The state collected results from 16,039 tests Friday, increasing the total number of tests processed in the state to 391,231. 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 5,250 confirmed cases Friday, or about 20 percent of the total cases in the state, according to NC DHHS data.

As of Friday, 89 of the state's 409 nursing home facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak. State health officials also reported outbreaks at 37 residential care facilities and 17 correctional facilities. At least 456 nursing home residents, 64 residential care facility residents and 16 inmates in North Carolina have died from coronavirus-related illness.

Hospitalizations dipped by 28 overnight for 680 patients with coronavirus-related illness as of Friday.

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 89 percent of the state's hospitals shows that 24 percent of North Carolina's ventilators are currently in use. The supply of hospital beds in North Carolina, is growing thin, with 84 percent of the state's intensive care beds and 77 percent of inpatient hospital beds listed as in use Friday.

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Mecklenburg County, the hardest hit county in the state, reported 232 new cases Friday, for a total of 3,837 confirmed cases. The county has also reported three new COVID-19 deaths, for a total of 88.

Globally, more than 5.8 million have been infected by COVID-19, and more than 362,000 people have lost their lives, Johns Hopkins University reported Friday. In the U.S., more than 1.7 million people have been infected and at least 102,201 people have died from COVID-19.

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