Charlotte Mayor Lobbies Governor For Statewide Mask Mandate

NORTH CAROLINA — Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles ramped up pressure Tuesday for a collective approach toward face coverings in North Carolina, asking Gov. Roy Cooper to issue a statewide mask requirement. The plea comes as COVID-19 continues to spread in Mecklenburg County, which Tuesday confirmed 8,531 cases of coronavirus and a death toll of 143.

"Today, I asked the [governor] for a statewide requirement to wear protective face masks in public. I support this for all of our citizens because it provides additional meaningful steps to help combat the spread of COVID-19," Lyles said.

"Protecting the public health of our residents is a must-do for those of us in positions to make this happen," she added.

Cooper is expected to decide on the status of the state's Phase 2 reopening, which is set to expire Friday unless it is extended or changed. He has indicated that a mask mandate could be included.

SEE ALSO: Mask Mandate Under Consideration In North Carolina: Gov. Cooper

North Carolina reported 54,453 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, including 848 new cases confirmed since Monday. As of Tuesday, labs had processed nearly 774,000 tests, DHHS said.

North Carolina's coronavirus death toll increased to 1,251 Tuesday following 28 new deaths since Monday. Hospitalizations also increased to 915, up from 870 reported Monday.

The increase in hospitalizations has left about three out of every four hospital beds occupied. That's according to a DHHS survey of about 91 percent of the state's hospitals, which showed 76 percent of inpatient and 77 percent of intensive care unit hospital beds were occupied Tuesday. Ventilator readiness, by contrast, was greater, with about 29 percent of the state's supply reportedly in use Tuesday.

Don't miss the latest coronavirus updates from health and government officials in North Carolina. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

COVID-19 outbreaks in congregate living facilities — such as nursing homes, residential care facilities and correctional facilities — rose to 7,418 confirmed cases Tuesday. The case count represents about 14 percent of the total cases of COVID-19 confirmed in the state.

As of Tuesday, 108 of the state's 409 nursing home facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak. State health officials also reported outbreaks at 62 residential care facilities and 19 correctional facilities.

As of Tuesday, 10 percent of all tests in North Carolina were positive. The World Health Organization recommends that governments have a positivity rate of 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days before reopening.

North Carolina was one of 20 states identified as having a higher-than-recommended positivity rate and in need of increased COVID-19 testing capacity, Johns Hopkins University said Tuesday. As of June 23, it had the No. 12 highest positivity rate in the country, behind Oklahoma and ahead of Iowa. The U.S. positivity rate Tuesday was 13.54 percent.

RELATED:

• 3 Out of 4 Say Masks Needed In NC COVID-19 Fight: Patch Survey
• COVID-19 Increase Occurring In Younger Demographic In NC