Sept. 3. As the NC General Assembly passed a plan to spend another $1 billion in federal coronavirus relief funds—with almost half going to families in stimulus-style checks—the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services reported 1,656 new cases of the coronavirus statewide.

It means that at least 172,209 North Carolinians have been infected with COVID-19. Today’s report also added 24 to the overall death count, for a total of 2,803 statewide.

Hospitalizations, at 858 statewide, were level two days in a row, but down from 946 on Tuesday and down from 1,057 on Aug. 3, exactly one month ago.

Stimulus checks

The Coronavirus Relief Act 3.0 would provide parents of children 17 and younger a $335 stimulus check to help offset costs associated with remote learning, pending Gov. Cooper’s approval. Phase 2.5 of Cooper’s Safer at Home plan begins tomorrow at 5. It allows gyms to reopen, but not bars. The state is allowing outdoor visitation at nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities.

“Moving to Phase 2.5 means we can safely do a few more things while still fighting the virus as vigorously as ever,” Gov. Roy Cooper said.

Testing

New tests are coming back at the rate of 7.6 percent statewide, 6.5 percent in Mecklenburg County. With 5 percent and trending downward being best, Mecklenburg is in much better shape than Bertie, Montgomery, Pitt and Robeson counties where tests are coming back positive more than 15 percent of the time.

Mecklenburg

There were 153 new cases of COVID-19 in Mecklenburg County in today’s report, up from 145 yesterday, but down from 213 new cases on Tuesday. The median of new daily cases over the past week is running 2.6 percent below the median of new daily cases over the past month.

There were three new deaths in Mecklenburg, as per NCDHHS, for a total of 301 since the outbreak began.

North Meck

Cornelius new cases/deaths: 5/0. Cumulative: 454/16

Davidson new cases/deaths: 0/0. Cumulative: 261/5

Huntersville new cases/deaths: 7/0. Cumulative: 830/11