NC COIVD-19: Testing Urged For Protesters, Nearly 1,200 New Cases

NORTH CAROLINA — Anyone who has recently attended a mass gathering, such as one of the ongoing racial justice protests occurring around the state, should consider getting a novel coronavirus test, according to the state's top public health official.

"Anytime we see large groups of folks coming together, we know that there's a potential for exposure when folks aren't able to social distance," said Mandy Cohen, Secretary of North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services, during a news conference Thursday.

Cohen made the recommendation Thursday hours after the state confirmed a record setting 1,189 cases of coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, since Wednesday, increasing the total number in the state to nearly 32,000.

There were 21 coronavirus-related deaths reported in North Carolina since Wednesday, pushing the death toll to 960, NC DHHS said.

"We want folks who may have been at a mass gathering — whether that was a protest or somewhere else, like a speedway — to potentially think about getting tested. We want to make sure we're identifying cases early," she said.

State public health officials launched a new online tool Thursday 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.

“These tools are one way we can help break down barriers to access, particularly for our historically marginalized populations, who are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19,” said Dr. Cardra Burns, Senior Deputy Director, NCDHHS Division of Public Health, in a statement. "They are part of a larger effort to make sure that testing is available in trusted and accessible places for communities of color."

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.

While the number of known cases increased Thursday, hospitalizations decreased by double digits for the second day in a row. As of June 4, there were 659 COVID-19 patients in hospitals around the state, 25 fewer than the day before.

The state collected results from more than 19,000 tests since Wednesday, increasing the total number of tests processed in the state to more than 468,000. 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 5,683 confirmed cases Thursday, or about 18 percent of the total cases in the state, according to DHHS data.

As of Thursday, 93 of the state's 409 nursing home facilities had a COVID-19 outbreak. State health officials also reported outbreaks at 48 residential care facilities and 19 correctional facilities. At least 503 nursing home residents, 73 residential care facility residents and 21 inmates in North Carolina have died from coronavirus-related illness.

As of June 1, an estimated 18,860 COVID-19 patients in North Carolina were presumed recovered, DHHS said.

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