Jan. 28. COVID-related hospitalizations statewide may have finally peaked. The NC Dept. of Health & Human Services is reporting that hospitalizations fell by 74 to 5,084 today. It’s the first time in more than a month that the daily coronavirus head count has fallen.

On Dec. 1, there were 1,157 North Carolinians hospitalized due to COVID.

Deaths

The NCDHHS also reported 78 new COVID-related deaths

New cases

There were 22,631 new cases in today’s report.

Positivity rate

The statewide COVID positivity rate is 30.4 percent, marginally higher than yesterday.

—In Mecklenburg, the 14-day trailing average remained at 31.2 percent.

Mecklenburg

There were 1,717 new COVID cases as well as 8 new deaths reported county-wide between yesterday and today.

North Mecklenburg (change from Thursday)

• Cornelius: 50 new cases, 6,158 cumulative total, 32 deaths cumulative total.

• Davidson: 35 new cases, 3,702 cumulative total, 20 deaths cumulative total.

• Huntersville: 103 new cases, 13,977 cumulative total, 82 deaths cumulative total.