Feb. 25. UPDATE 2:45 pm. By Dave Yochum. A day after Gov. Cooper announced plans to loosen COVID-19 restrictions on bars and other businesses, the NC Dept. of Health & Human Services today reported the lowest number of coronavirus hospitalizations statewide since November.

Statewide, hospitalizations fell to 1,498, from 2,781 on Feb. 1.

The median number of new cases over the past week (3,227) is down 17.6 percent from the median volume over the past month (3,916). (See chart based on data from Johns Hopkins University.)

There were 3,357 new cases statewide in today’s report, up slightly from 3,346 new cases yesterday.

Deaths

There were 63 new deaths statewide attributable to the coronavirus, for a total of 11,137 since the outbreak began in North Carolina a year ago. There have been a total of 854 COVID-related deaths in Mecklenburg, an increase of one from yesterday.

Testing UPDATE

NEW: The statewide positive test rate is at 4.5 percent, down from 15 percent at the beginning of the year. (Prior to updating it was 6 percent.) The Mecklenburg positive test rate is 6.5 percent.

Mecklenburg

In Mecklenburg County, the NCDHHS reported 326 new cases, up from 303 yesterday.

North Mecklenburg

Cornelius: 16 new cases, 2,490 cumulative; 21 deaths total.

Davidson: 6 new cases, 1,414 cumulative; 15 deaths total.

Huntersville: 15 new cases, 5,069 cumulative; 47 deaths total.